SPRINGFIELD — New Mission got some clutch free throws from Charlie Mitchell and Alonzo Cooper late in the Division 2 state championship game Saturday against Concord-Carlisle. The free throws gave New Mission a 4-point lead and sealed the 52-48 win.
Isaiah Laurent took three charges late in the fourth quarter to help New Mission come up with turnovers and grind out the close win.
“That’s our team, that’s what we do. We’re grimy, we’ll do anything to get to the top,’’ New Mission coach Cory McCarthy said. “And we’re at the top now.’’
New Mission (23-3) jumped out to an early 8-0 lead before Concord-Carlisle, led by Gatorade Player of the Year Eric Sellew, started connecting from behind the arc to grab a 15-12 lead at the end of the first quarter. Concord-Carlisle hit its first three 3-point attempts and was 4 of 5 on threes in the first half.
The New Mission bigs Darion Jordan-Thomas, who finished with 14 points and eight rebounds, and Laurent (10 points) got going in the second quarter and helped the Titans tie the game at 29 entering halftime.
The third quarter was sloppy for both teams. Concord-Carlisle was held to just 4 points while New Mission only scored 9. Fatiuge may have played a part in the sloppy play.
“It was a matter of who had the better legs,’’ McCarthy said of the third-quarter struggles. “Going into halftime I told the boys ‘Hey listen we’ve got them right where we want them because they’re tired. As long as we just kept pushing the ball and attack they wilted.’?’’
Concord-Carlisle (22-2) got its rhythm back in the fourth quarter and were within 40-39, with just over five minutes left. But the late free throws along with a few baskets by Tyrique Lee helped the Titans hold on for the win.
“Tyrique’s phenomenal,’’ McCarthy said. “He’s just so hard to stop in the open court. I was suprised he was allowed to do some of the things he did. I was expecting the zone.’’
New Mission held Concord-Carlisle’s Sellew to 11 points and nine rebounds.
“We went big-on-big on the double team and we knew once we got some big bodies on [Sellew] it would be tough for him to score,’’ McCarthy said.
New Mission won the state title for the third time since 2011 but, according to McCarthy, this one was the best.
“This one is the best because no one was giving these kids a chance,’’ McCarthy said. “[The players] know everything that people are saying and we use it as motivation.’’
