Colts edge Pacers, 51-48
By Nate Rosenthal
CHICOPEE – More often than not Chicopee High/Chicopee Comp games tend to be battles no matter what may be the records of the respective teams. This week’s meeting at Comp featured two teams that are evenly matched and both should be in the fight for superiority in the Valley Wheel until the end.
This game lived up to all the hype, with no lead bigger than 6 points, that coming midway through the second quarter when the Colts went up by six. The Pacers managed to get up by two on a couple of occasions, the latest in the early stages of the fourth quarter. That final frame was as tense as could be and in the end, it was the Colts who stood as victors.
After a scoreless first minute, the Colts got on the board on a Brett James Jumper. Ryan Malone followed shortly with 2 free throws to give Comp a 4-0 lead. Jesus Sanchez answered that with a power dive to cut the lead in half, but Malone responded quickly with a three to put Comp up, 7-2 with 5 minutes left in the quarter. The Pacers fought their way back and when Richard Cantella hit a three at 1:45, the game was tied at 11-11. In the final minute, Anthony Williams scored for Comp and Lee Turner for Chicopee and the game remained tied at 13 apiece after one quarter.
Chicopee took its first lead after a minute in the second on a Chad Woodfine put back, but the Colts followed with their best run of the night, 8 points to take a 21-15 lead. Matt Toczek, who would have a big night for the Colts, had 4 of those 8 points. Back came the Pacers to score 6 of the next 7 points and with just over a minute to go in the half, it was a one point game. Cantella scored 4 of those points for the Pacers. When Jesse Warren made the second of two free throws with six seconds to play, it allowed the Colts to go into halftime with a 25-22 lead.
The third quarter was a good one for the Pacers, especially in the final three and half minutes. A Toczek hoop put the Colts up by 5 in the first minute and another at 3:35 made it 31-27, but an 8-2 run by Chicopee High with 5 points by Cantella out them ahead 35-33. The big basket came at 1:39, when scored on a layup and then hit the free throw for a three point play. After Comp regained the lead on a Tyler Midura put back, Woodfine did the same at the other end and Chicopee went into the final quarter with 38-37 lead.
Toczek put the Colts back in front, but then Eddie Green buried a three to give the Pacers a two point advantage once again, at 41-39. Two free throws by Malone and a lay up by Exzavier White put the Colts back in front. Sanchez sandwiched a couple of layins around another basket by White and with 2:11 to go, the game as tied at 45-45. Warren hit on a short pop to give Comp the lead, one they would not relinquish, though the Pacers made it interesting. Toczek made the first of two free throws and then White got two more with 25 seconds to play to put the Colts up by a seemingly safe 5 points. The Pacers rushed down the court and got right back when Asselin made a layup and was fouled on the play. His free throws made it 50-48 with 17.2 remaining. Warren was fouled immediately and hit the first of two and the margin was back to three. Once the Pacer got the ball to midcourt, they called time out to set up one last shot to tie the game. Despite his best efforts, that shot by Sanchez fell short and Chicopee Comp had the win.
“We needed this one,” A relived Dan Franczek said after the game. “A lot of guys really stepped up and had games that would not be reflected on the score sheet. When Ryan (Franczek) and Exzavier (White) fouled out, we needed that.
Sanchez led all scorers with 15 points, while teammate Cantella had 13. On the Colts side, it was Toczek with 13 to lead his team. Malone was next with 9, followed by White and Warren with 8 apiece and Midura with seven. James had four and Williams two to round out the Colts. Woodfine had 8 for Chicopee followed by Asselin with 7. Green scored three points, and Turner two for the Pacers. The Pacers fell to 7-6 and 1-1 with the loss, while the Colts went to 6-6 and 2-0 with the win. In two and half weeks the teams will be back at it at Chicopee High.
