Sports

Ponies rout John Bapst with a season-high 70 points

Ellen Curtiss •January 7, 2015

By Stuart Hedstrom 
Staff Writer

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — The Foxcroft Academy boys opened the new year by hosting winless John Bapst Memorial High School of Bangor, a team that entered the Jan. 3 contest losing only one of its contests by less than 10 points. The Ponies continued the Crusaders’ woes by jumping out to a 26-9 lead after one quarter, and then surpassing the previous season-high of 58 points early in the fourth for a 2014-15 best total of 70 while also giving up a season-low 36 points at the other end of the court.

sp-FAjbsantagata-dc-po-1Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    LOSING THE BALL AND THE GAME — The officials whistled for a jump ball, with the arrow pointing in Foxcroft Academy’s direction, between Pony sophomore Max Santagata and John Bapst senior Harrison Dieuveuil shortly before the ball came loose in the third quarter of a Jan. 3 contest. The Ponies jumped out to a 26-9 lead after the first quarter, and never looked back with a 70-36 victory. Looking on is Foxcroft junior Dylan Harmon-Weeks and John Bapst freshman Nate Galinski.

    Foxcroft — who improved to 3-4 while John Bapst dropped to 0-7 — quickly had an 8-0 advantage in the opening minutes as junior Hunter Smith connected twice from beyond the 3-point line and senior Sean Cody made a pair of foul shots. The Crusaders would get within six points on several occasions in the first, but no closer as the deficit would only grow.
    Smith followed his pair of 3-pointers with four other shots from the floor for 14 points in the opening quarter. He finished with a game-high 19 points, outscoring all but freshman teammate Drew Dankert (who recorded 15 points) in the opening 8-minute session alone.

sp-FAjbrichards-dc-po-1Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    ONE FOOT BEFORE THE OTHER — Sophomore Riley Richards snags a rebound in traffic during the second quarter on Saturday evening.

    With a 17-point lead after one quarter, which grew to 28 points at the half, the bulk of the Foxcroft roster was able to rotate off the bench and onto the court as eight names landed on the scoring sheet. Senior Drew Smith and sophomore Max Santagata led the non-starters with six points apiece as part of 20 points from off the bench.
    On Dec. 8 the Ponies scored 58 points in a 58-57 home victory vs. neighboring rival Dexter Regional High School. Against John Bapst Foxcroft matched the previous 2014-15 best output late in the third quarter on a basket by Drew Smith.
    Just over a minute into quarter No. 4 Dankert connected on a 3-point shot to have his team surpass the 60-point mark for the first time in seven games. Nine more points were added for the 70, or nearly double the output of 36 tallied by John Bapst.
    The two teams are scheduled to play again in the regular season finale on Thursday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. at the Cross Insurance Center.

sp-FAjbdrew-dc-po-1Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    TWO FOR NO. 22 — Lifting up a shot from the paint is senior Drew Smith, with freshman teammate Nick Clawson positioned out on the wing.

sp-FAjbhunter-dc-po-1Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    LEADING SCORER — Junior Hunter Smith, shooting over John Bapst senior Tom Feng, led all players with 19 points. Smith picked up 14 of his total in the opening quarter, on a pair of 3-pointers and four field goals.

BASKETBALL
BOYS
Foxcroft 70,
John Bapst 36
JB    9    8    8     11     — 36
FA    26    19     13   12 — 70
    FOXCROFT: H. Smith 19, Dankert 15, Cody 8, Harmon-Weeks 8, Santagata 6, D. Smith 6, Clawson 5 and Richards 3.
    JOHN BAPST: Hanscom 9, Feng 6, Smith 6, Dieuveuil 4, Higgins 4, Mooney 4, Galuski 2 and Lakeman 1.
    Records: Foxcroft 3-4, John Bapst 0-7.

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