AUGUSTA — No, Fenway High’s nickname isn’t the Green Monsters, and it’s not a travel team run by the Red Sox. But sharp-shooting Cony High School got the big hits Wednesday against the Boston-based school.
Alex Fournier scored 21 points, all on 3-pointers, and the Rams defeated the visiting Panthers 77-70 in the Capital City Hoop Classic.
Parker Sergent added 12 points and 10 rebounds for Cony and Brady Hopkins scored 12 points, all on 3-pointers.
Cony drilled 12 triples as a team, the same number as in Tuesday night’s 71-55 win over Messalonskee at the Civic Center.
Fenway and another Boston school, New Mission High, were the out-of-state entires for the 27th annual holiday event. Talks with a mutual friend of Fenway coach Bruce DaSilva and Cony athletic director T.J. Maines led to the Panthers’ participation, although a wrong turn by the team bus caused a 15-minute game delay Wednesday. The players hit the court just minutes after they reached the Civic Center.
The Rams took advantage with a fast-paced, quick-passing attack around the perimeter that found the open man more often than not. Cony led by as many as 15 points in the second quarter before Fenway clawed back and led 64-61 with 7:22 left in the game. But a 13-2 Cony run, bookended by a pair of Fournier 3-pointers, sealed the win.
“We made some adjustments and we were able to take the lead, but unfortunately our guys just didn’t have the stamina to keep up,” DaSilva said. “Cony’s an excellent ball-control team; they passed the ball well and they tired us out to where we couldn’t sustain their pressure. I’m not going to make excuses, but we definitely weren’t prepared for the game, mentally or physically, because they wore us out with their passing and getting open looks.”
Even in the digital age, games between non-state schools bring an element of mystery, and not just because Fenway’s roster entry in the game program consisted of a blank space. Cony plays in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference; Fenway plays in the Boston City League, two leagues whose games almost never overlap. Throw in the fact that the game doesn’t count in the Maine Principals’ Association standings, the Rams played less than 24 hours earlier and, well, who knows what will happen?
“We didn’t know what to expect from a team from Massachusetts, and we didn’t know how we were going to take the game, it being an exhibition and us playing (Tuesday) night against Messo,” Cony coach Isaiah Brathwaite said, “but the guys wanted to compete and make a game out of it.”
Cony’s Alex Fournier and Fenway’s Jhoscar Ortize go head-to-head during a boys basketball game Wednesday at the Capital City Hoop Classic in Augusta. Andy Molloy/Kennebec Journal
The Rams certainly did that Wednesday, going on an 11-0 run midway through the first half to take a 32-17 lead. Hopkins drilled two 3-pointers, including one off a fantastic kickout pass from Sergent underneath the hoop. But Fenway’s Tavaj Cope scored 12 of his game-high 22 points down the stretch, including a dunk that brought oohs and aahs from the fans, to cut his team’s deficit to 42-34 at the half.
On the strength of three 3s from Fournier, Cony built its lead to 53-43 before Fenway scored 21 of the game’s next 29 points to take a 64-61 lead. But Fournier sandwiched a pair of 3s around seven points from Sergent, and the Rams took the lead for good.
“They were just leaving me open in the corner,” Fournier said. “They were playing a 3-2 zone and they weren’t paying attention to me much. I was just playing baseline and they kinda lost track of me a couple times, so I just let it fly.”
Wilton Fernandes scored 20 points for Fenway before he fouled out with 3:46 left in the game. Teammate Joshua Lee scored 11 points and Jhoscar Ortiz had 10 points and eight rebounds.
In accordance with Massachusetts high school rules, the game was played in two 16-minute halves instead of four 8-minute quarters.
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