EASTHAM — Head coach John McCarthy’s Nauset Warriors are back on track.
Seemingly mired in a two-game funk during the holidays by dropping games to Barnstable and Mashpee, Nauset Regional turned things around Saturday night with a decisive, 68-42 victory over Carver High. A total of nine Nauset players found their names in the scorebook once the dust finally settled in a raucous Warriors gymnasium as the boys in black and gold raised their record to 5-2 on the season.
Nauset Regional High School’s Ethan Ladue turned in a key double-double Saturday night with 14 points and 10 rebounds as the Warriors downed Carver, 68-42 at home.
Sean Walsh/capecod.com sports
The last time these two teams met a couple of weeks ago, Nauset barely escaped with a three-point victory.
“It was great. We got ’em good right from the start this time,” McCarthy said. “Over the past couple of years we haven’t had too many like that.”
Following Razz Green’s buzzer-beating three-pointer to beat Hampshire Regional earlier this week, McCarthy said the team sat down and took stock of what its goals were this season and how to maintain an effective balance. Tonight, he said, the Warriors “turned the corner.”
“We had a heart to heart after the Hampshire Regional win,” McCarthy said. “Tonight was team ball all around. We’ve really been pushing the meaning of team basketball. We go up against a team like Hampshire Regional – a pretty solid team – and we go into the 4th quarter down by 13 and we end up scoring 23 points. Our defense really stepped it up tonight.”
Nauset’s big man, 6’5″ Ethan Ladue, notched a key double-double for the night and paced the team’s offensive attack once again. He poured in 14 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. Andrew Flynn was right behind him with 13 points.
To say Nauset came out of the lock room prior to Saturday night’s win with a revamped team focus would be an understatement. After one quarter, the hosts led Carver, 17-3. By halftime, the Warriors led 32-21 and by the end of the third quarter, 48-31.
“It was pretty exciting to see the way we moved he ball around tonight,” McCarthy said. “We have a huge game Tuesday night at home versus D-Y and I have no doubt the gym will be full and loud.”
McCarthy was quick to credit Ladue with maintaining an average of about 14 points per game from the season’s outset, but added that the depth of the Warrior five this season will reap dividends down the road.
Jackson Hill added nine points, while Chris Mezulis, Green and Mark Takajian each had eight. Sam Majewski scored seven, Nick Meehan added six and Eric Poyant had four to round out a well-balanced offensive attack.
— Sean Walsh is the sports editor for www.capecod.com. His email is [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @coachwalshccbm
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