O'Shea scores 42 points to shoot down Spaulding
Toolbox
By KRIS MARTIN Correspondent - Published: February 10, 2010
BARRE – Senior Joe O'Shea poured in 42 points as Burlington earned a 74-57 victory over Spaulding in Tuesday's Division I boys basketball action at the Barre Aud.
O'Shea scored 21 points in each half and rained down eight 3-pointers, showing once again why he was named Vermont's "Mr. Basketball" in 2009 and is a favorite to earn the title again this year.
"We tried three different defenses," Crimson Tide coach Mike Mislak said. "Our No. 1 priority was to contain O'Shea and we didn't. In big-time games, big-time players step up. And he stepped up and then some."
Spaulding was led by senior Lucas Dutil, who scored 19. Junior Evan Tullar netted 15 points and senior Bryan Hickey pitched in with 13 points.
The night may have belonged to O'Shea, but Spaulding gave the Seahorses something to think about in the first quarter. Keyed by Tullar and Dutil, an explosive running game allowed the Tide to mount an 11-1 run that had the home fans turning the volume up. However, a quick Burlington timeout gave Seahorse coach Matt Johnson the chance to tap his captain on the shoulder.
"You know what you're getting with Spaulding," Johnson said. "Spaulding is probably one of the most athletic teams in the league. And especially early on with the crowd and the environment, they were the aggressor."
"I hadn't been shooting the ball particularly well, so I made a couple tweaks to my shot," O'Shea said. "With us being down 11-1 early, we needed it tonight. I was just going to shoot it until coach told me not to."
A deep 3-pointer followed by a floater in the lane from O'Shea gave the Seahorses all the momentum they needed. When O'Shea threw in a second 3-pointer on the Seahorses' next possession, both teams knew it was "go time."
A 3-pointer from Burlington senior Brendan Corriveau (six points) tied the game at 13 in the second quarter. And it wasn't long before 3-point shots started dropping like coins in a fountain. A dunk from O'Shea followed by a 3-pointer from Spaulding's Codie Lawson had the teams trading leads. O'Shea then put the Seahorses on his back, trading 3-pointers with Dutil before the teams hit the locker rooms with Burlington up 28-25.
"We knew it was going to be a pretty tough game," O'Shea said. "We kept doing what we were doing and the shots started to fall. This place (the Barre Auditorium) has a shooter's appeal. It's intimate, with a big crowd and soft rims."
As if the Tide hadn't seen enough O'Shea, he came back at them in the second half with guns a blazin'. Firing up another pair of 3-pointers to start the quarter, the Seahorses jumped up 34-25. Spaulding's Hickey responded with an old-fashioned 3-point play and followed with a tough putback to close the gap to 34-30. But just as the Tide began crawling back out of their hole, O'Shea would strike. The senior sharpshooter repeatedly drilled deep shots and, when the defense extended the zone, he drove past the defense to set up a teammate for an open look at the rim. O'Shea closed out the quarter with a coast-to-coast drive, soaring to the rim to give Burlington its first double-digit lead with a 53-43 cushion.
"When we did make O'Shea give up the ball the other players hit some big shots down the stretch," Mislak said. "And then, because they're so potent offensively, you have to be patient and much more consistent in your possessions. The other key is to try to attack him and make him play some defense."
In the fourth quarter Spaulding slowly had their wheels worn down. A few traded baskets eventually gave way to O'Shea directing traffic as the Burlington lead grew. With the Tide offensive game ineffective, the Seahorses easily secured the victory.
"The 10-point lead early was encouraging," Mislak said. "We know what we need to improve. Bryan Hickey was especially strong tonight even though his dad was undergoing surgery today. In the big picture, it shows what kind of adversity he's had to overcome and the courage it took to come out and play tonight. I admire him for that."
Burlington (16-1) will play Mount Mansfield on Friday. The Tide (11-6) face South Burlington on Friday at 7 p.m.
Burlington 74, Spaulding 57
BURLINGTON (74)
Walsh 1 0-0 2, C. O'Shea 0 2 0-0 6, Vachereau 0 1-2 1, Grady 1 2 1-4 9, Heimert 1 0-0 2, Corriveau 0 2 0-0 6, J. O'Shea 6 8 6-7 42, Zabili 3 0-0 6. Totals 12 14 8-13 74.
SPAULDING (57)
Blouin 1 1 0-0 5, Blake 0 0-0 0, Hickey 5 3-3 13, Plante 0 0-0 0, Carrier 0 0-0 0, English 1 0-0 2, Tullar 4 1 4-4 15, Lawson 0 1 0-0 3, Mayo 0 0-0 0, Dutil 3 4 1-2 19. Totals 14 7 8-9 57.
Spaulding 13 12 20 12 - 57
Burlington 10 18 25 21 - 74
Three-pointers: S - Dutil 4, Lawson, Tullar, Blouin. B - J. O'Shea 8, C. O'Shea 2, Grady 2, Corriveau 2. Fouled out: None
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