St. John's Defeats Mansfield at TD Boston Garden in Semifinals

They came close, but in the end, the St. John's Prep boys' basketball team had just enough offense to post a 64-55 win over Mansfield at the TD Boston Garden tonight in the Division 1 state semifinals. 

Mansfield was able to get the Eagles' lead to one point with a little over five minutes left in the game, but St. John's Prep was able outscore the Hornets, 20-12, the rest of the way.

"It was kind of the story of the game," said Mansfield High head coach Mike Vaughan. "When we had them in situations that we could make play, we missed shots.

"We need to shot well and play great defense. Well, we played great defense, but we didn't shot well and the result was what it was."

 St. John's Prep is now advancing to the state final Saturday at the DCU Center in Worcester, while Mansfield finishes it season with a 24-3 overall record. The Eagles will play either Northhampton or St. John's of Shrewsbury. Those two teams are playing Wednesday night at the DCU Center in Worcester.

Jeff Hill's steal and layup with 5:21 left in the game got the Hornets to within one at 44-43, but the Eagles came right back with a basket by Steve Haladyna to increase the lead.

Mansfield was dealt a blow when Hill fouled out of the game with 3:47 remaining, taking most of the Hornets' offense to the bench with him. Hill was called for an offensive foul on a drive to the hoop.

Hill finished the game as the Hornets' top scorer with 20 points and he also played an outstanding game defensively, holding St. John's Prep's Pat Connaughton, who is headed to Notre Dame, to 15 points, well below his average.

"I played him a couple of times before, so I knew some of his faded away in the paint moves and I just tried to take away that, " said Hill. "Coming off double screens, if he catches it, he's going  to score. He's a great player."

Vaughan said he couldn't ask for anymore from his team defensively. 

"If you told me we would hold him to 15 points, give up 30 points in the half and 64 points in the game, I would have said we will win the game," said Vaughan

With Connaughton in check, the Eagles went to another weapon, Haladyna, who finished with 20 points, scoring 12 of them in the fourth quarter.

Going into the fourth quarter, the Mansfield wad trailing St. John's Prep, 44-36. The Hornets were able to get within six at 41-35 after Hill scored on a drive and made the foul shot. St. John's answered with a 3-pointer by Connor Macomber to extend the lead to nine.

At the half, St. John's Prep was leading Mansfield, 31-22.

The Hornets fell behind by 14 points at 27-13 after the Eagles' Fred Shove drove to the basket for two-points. Mansfield, though, climbed back into the game, outscoring the Eagles, 9-3, in the last two minutes of the second half. Hill made two free throws, followed by a drive to the basket by Michael Lofton, a steal and a layup by Brian Hershman and three-pointer by Joseph Garcia as the Hornets climb back to within seven at 29-22. St. John's Prep's Drew Costello hit a jumper to account for the 31-22 lead at the half. 

Garcia' s shot was the only outside basket for the Hornets.

St. John's Prep started off the game with three 3-pointers, including two by Mike Carbone, on their way to building up a 17-7 lead after the first quarter.  Hill scored all of Mansfield's points in the first quarter.

In their win over Newton North in the South title gam Friday, the Hornets struggled with their shooting and that has carried over to the first quarter as Mansfield didn't make an outside shot.

"Our offensive morale, when we missed a couple of early shots. was really down," said Vaughan. "Jeff was really able to carry us. I can't say enough about his competitiveness. He is going off to play football at Bentley and he would be an asset no matter where we went and whether he played either sport."

BOX SCORE-

St. John's Prep: Fred Solve 2 0-0 7, Steve Haladyna 8 4-6 20, Connor Macomber 2 0-0 5, Pat Connaughton 2- 8-9  15,  Mike Carbone 0 1-2 7, Isaiah Robinson 4 0-1 8, Drex Costello 1 0-0 2. Totals: 19-4-14-17-64

Mansfield-Daniel Dion 1 0-0 2, Michael Lofton 4 2-4 10, Terrance O'Meara 1 0-0 2, Brian Hershman 1 0-0 2, Kaarim Thomas 0 1-2 1, Chris Johnson 3 0-2 6, Kevin Connor 1 1-2 3, Joseph Garcia 0 0-0 9, Jeffrey Hill 8 4-11 20. Totals: 19-3-8-55

Three-pointers: St. John's Prep 4 (Carbone 2, Macomber 1, Shove 1), Mansfield 3 (Garcia 3)