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ATHENS — Having a height disadvantage is something North Adams has been accustomed to facing all season.
But the Devils have been able to combat that with their speed, which has worked 21 times this season. However, running into a team with both speed and height was, ultimately, too much to overcome on Wednesday night.
Despite being up for the challenge, Harvest Prep showcased itself to have too much firepower as it ended the Green Devils’ season by a 78-48 count in a Division III regional semifinal at Ohio University.
“We came out with a little energy and hit a few shots,” North Adams coach Nathan Copas said. “We knew we needed to shoot the ball well. We needed [Harvest Prep] to not shoot it well because we knew they could get it to the hole. We were going to try and play a zone [defense] because we watched some tape and others have had success with that. But they shot the ball pretty well. They run nine athletes at you all night long and we’re able to run six. That was another disadvantage.”
In the opening minutes, Harvest Prep and North Adams went bucket for bucket. Breestin Schweickart knocked down a triple early to put NA ahead 7-6.
However, the Warriors (22-4) didn’t waste a second turning up the heat.
Behind Antwon Pollard and Ephriam Campbell, the Warriors went on a 10-0 run to take a 16-7 lead before closing out the frame up 20-9.
CREDIT: Renee Nemeth/SOSA
From that point on, the Green Devils (21-5) were left to try and play catch-up.
The problem was that any time they attempted to mount a rally, the Warriors answered right back with a shot from deep — or a series of shots.
North Adams managed to cut the lead to 22-13, following a triple from Carson Osbourne. But HP responded with buckets from Pollard, Campbell and London Foggie to push the lead back into double digits, where it remained throughout the rest of the night, ultimately putting a close to the Green Devils’ season.
“It’s tough. When you’re playing six and they’re playing nine, with not a lot of drop-off in talent, it’s tough,” Copas said. “Overall, we played hard. We didn’t always play smart and we didn’t always do things we maybe should’ve been doing. But we played hard.”
Copas finished the night with 15 points while Jayce Rothwell added 13 points and five rebounds. Schweickart also chipped in with 11 points and nine boards.
The Green Devils end their season as league, sectional and district champions for the second straight year. They’ll now have to say goodbye to their two seniors in Copas and Cody Hesler.
“Cody started playing varsity basketball for us last year and he’s just a hard-nosed kid,” Copas said. “He may be limited some offensively, but you get a ton out of him defensively. He’s just a great kid and a great role model. Bransyn has been a big part of North Adams basketball for the past four years. He came in with a lot of expectations, fair or not fair. Since he was a sophomore, he’s been the main part of the opponent’s game plan. Losing both of those guys is going to be tough. They bring a lot of pride to our program and to our community.
“This loss doesn’t take away from the season that we’ve had,” Copas continued. “The sectional title and back-to-back district wins is something the school has never done before. What these kids have brought to this community and to each other, the memories they have created, it’s been a very successful year.”
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