Central boys fall short against Keene, 66-63

KEENE, NH – The effort was solid, the execution was better but the result was the same.

Central High boys’ basketball Coach Sudi Lett has made clear the phrase “moral victory” has no place in his team’s lexicon this season. With that in mind, Friday night’s 66-63 loss to Keene High meant just one to the Little Green – dropping to 0-2 on the young season.

“I think the boys are making strides in the right direction. (But) our theme is ‘no moral victories,’ so we’re not happy because we lost,” said Lett. “We’re doing a good job of playing really hard. The boys are rotating and trapping (on defense) really good. They’re super scrappy, willing to get on the floor for 50/50 balls. But we still need to turn that effort into a win, so we’ll try again next week against Goffstown.

Senior forward Dawon Tyler-Fulse led Central with 16 points and eight rebounds. Senior Wesley Olmeda and junior Izaya Diaz added 12 points apiece.

The game was close throughout, with the score tied at halftime (29-29) and Keene holding a slim 45-44 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.

Trailing 52-49, Central fought back with a hard-fought bucket in the paint by Mateo Williams and a free throw by Mohammed Mohammed to tie the game with 3:40 left to play.

But just when it looked like Central might ride a late wave of momentum to its first win, Keene (1-1) answered with a 10-2 run over the course of 90 seconds to seize control. Sophomore Kassen Abbott started the Blackbirds’ run with a three-pointer from the win, his only points of the game. A pair of free throws by Asher Zegno pulled Central to within 55-54, but that was as close as the Little Green would get.

Keene senior forward Andrew Prock (13 points, 5 rebounds) converted a three-point play in the paint, then drilled a 12-foot jumper on the next trip down the floor to push the lead to six. And when Evan Spindler scored on a drive down the lane, the Blackbirds had their biggest lead of the game, 62-54, with 1:25 to play.

To its credit, Central didn’t roll over, helped by the fact Keene missed four free throws down the stretch. Tyler-Fulse drained a three-pointer to pull Central to within 65-63 with 12.2 seconds remaining and when Keene’s Fitch Hennessey hit just one of two free throws with 8.3 seconds left, Central had a chance. The Little Green was able to work the ball around for a clean look but the would-be game-tying shot rimmed out at the buzzer.

Hennessey led all scorers with 20 points, to go along with nine rebounds. Four of Keene’s five starters were in double digits. Javon Massiah and Prock had 13 points each, while Jamal Stanley added 11 points and pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds.

Central showed some encouraging depth, getting 24 points from its bench. Olmeda led the second unit with 12 points on four three-pointers. After the Little Green struggled to crack Keene’s zone defense in the first quarter, managing just six points, Olmeda provided a much-needed spark in the second quarter, drilled three straight from beyond the arc.

“Wesley Olmeda is like our J.R. Smith,” said Lett, referencing the longtime NBA 6th man. “He comes into the game and we definitely need his effort and his energy and his shooting.”

Central will be back in action on Tuesday, looking for its first win, on the road, at Goffstown (6:30 p.m.)