Millrats top Heaves
Toolbox
By Pete Hartt Times Argus Staff - Published: December 7, 2007
BARRE — Say what you want about Thursday's American Basketball Association matchup between the Manchester Millrats and the Vermont Frost Heaves, but the cross-state rivalry is very much set.
For the second time in five days the first-year Millrats won a squeaker from Vermont, jetting ahead in the final three minutes to take a 115-109 victory from the Heaves. The Millrats won despite trailing after one quarter by 25 points, despite being hit with five technical fouls, despite losing their coach in the first quarter for taking two of the technicals and despite standout games from Vermont guards Terrence Green (33 points, eight steals, four assists) and B.J. Robertson (19 points and two assists).
"We are definitely a work in progress," Heaves coach Will Voigt said. "We have a big issue taking care of the ball, especially when the other team plays physical. When you get up to a big lead the officials tend to let the other team play more physical; that's normal, that happens in the NBA and we didn't handle it well."
With point guard Dwayne Lee on the bench nursing an injury, the Heaves were a little undermanned at guard and it showed with 24 turnovers, almost all of them after a near perfect start and aided by the Millrats lack of self control.
The Frost Heaves defense limited Manchester to just nine points in the opening seven minutes, then used a pair of technical foul free throws to make it 19-9 with five minutes left in the opening quarter. Apart from the free throws on three Manchester technicals the offense almost all belonged to Green who scored 19 in the opening quarter and 25 in the first half.
With a minute left in the half Manchester coach Larry Lessett was tossed for consecutive technicals with Green knocking down three of four to make it a 39-13 game.
From that point on, the Millrats played more under control (though they did pick up another technical late in the game), and gradually began to come back. Pressuring the Heaves, the Millrats closed the gap to 46-29 midway through the second quarter and then got it down into single digits with two minutes left.
But for Green's buzzer-beating jump shot at the half it would have been a four-point game at the break, but even so Manchester was clearly in full comeback mode.
After the break, Vermont appeared to right the ship somewhat, rebuilding the lead to double figures with four minutes left when Issa Konare hit a three-pointer to make it 74-61.
The Millrats closed the gap by five by quarter's end and headed into the final frame trailing 83-75.
The comeback continued in the fourth quarter and by the time the final frame reached its midway point Manchester was in the lead by four and it was Vermont straining to come back.
The heaves closed the gap to one-point three times between the 6 and four minute marks, and regained the lead briefly on Rashaun Banjo's short jumper from the right side of the lane with 4:12 on the clock. The two teams then exchanged three pointers before P.J. Young hit a layup with 2:48 left to give Manchester the lead at 103-102.
Vermont's Dokun Akingbade missed a pair of free throws that would have given Vermont the lead and the Heaves never lead again.
Down three with eight seconds remaining, Vermont failed to solve the Millrats pressure and threw the ball away trying to go deep to Robertson. The Millrats made the ensuing foul shots to salt the game away.
"It didn't slip away until we threw the ball away with eight seconds left," Voigt said. "We can't win when we turn the ball over.
"We want to play the best teams. We don't lose a lot at home, and it's good to be challenged."
Anthony Anderson led the 9-1 Millrats with 29 points, but six other players hit double figures including Charles Easterling (19), John Huggins (16), Souleymane Wane (12) and David Cooper, Rashi Al-Kaleem, Young with 10 points each.
Issa Konare had 16 points before fouling out in the fourth quarter, while Antonio Burks also joined Green and Robertson in double figures with 11.
John Bryant had 12 rebounds for the 6-2 Heaves who host Quebec in Barre Saturday at 2 p.m.
The Heaves bolstered the guard position Thursday with the signing of former Cal State-Bakersfield guard Dwuane Rice who was on the way to Vermont on Thursday and is expected to be available Saturday.
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