For the next three quarters, the Shipbuilders played like a team ready to make some noise, storming all the way back for a 57-48 victory.
The victory gives Morse a 6-11 mark, with a season-finale home date on Thursday against Leavitt, a team the Shipbuilders edged 39-38 Dec. 20 in Turner. More importantly, a win and Morse should be in, a goal of first-year coach Sam Hayes coming into the season.
“We only attempted three shots in five minutes, and you can’t win a game doing that, so I was pretty concerned about the hole we dug, realizing we haven’t been able to dig out in the past,” said Hayes, who watched his team regroup in the second quarter to forge a 21-21 deadlock at the break. “We scored 53 points over the final three quarters. I will take that any day.”
“We have trouble in the first quarter, and I felt we were nervous being at home at the start,” said Ethan Winglass, who scored a game-high 27 points to rally Morse from behind. “Once the second quarter came around, we relaxed, knowing this is like a playoff game for us. We knew that we had to come out those last three quarters. We feel we are the most athletic team in the conference and we had to use that.”
Rough sledding
Neither team scored in the game’s first four minutes. But, the Eagles found their stroke, scoring nine quick points and forcing 13 first-quarter Morse turnovers. Liam McDonough finally scored for the Shipbuilders with 1:54 remaining in the frame, and Lincoln Academy led 16-4 after eight minutes.
“They were tight, but we put ourselves in this position,” said Hayes of the first quarter.
Early in the second quarter, Morse senior guard D’Vaughn Myers picked up his third foul, and Hayes called on freshman
Keegan McDonough to handle Myers’ ball-handling duties. The freshman didn’t let his team down, dishing out three second-quarter assists as Morse began its comeback.
“Keegan comes in and just does what he does, not doing too much, and the last couple of games he has really come around,” said Hayes. “He is going to be a really good player for us down the road.”
After being shut out in the first quarter, Winglass popped for 12 second-quarter points as Morse outscored the Eagles 17-5 to pull into a tie at the half.
“He is a really good player and he turned it around,” said Hayes of Winglass, who shook off eight traveling calls.
Morse claimed its first lead when Myers swished a pair of free throws for a 25-23 edge, and an 8-1 Shipbuilders run put Morse up 33-26. Winglass scored six third-quarter points, while Keegan McDonough and Myers had four each for a 39-35 edge heading to the fourth.
Morse put the game away with a 15-6 spurt to begin the final frame, taking a 54-41 lead. Winglass and Myers combined on 17 points in the fourth to close out the 57-48 victory.
“Once we hit some shots and concentrated on the offense and defense, we started rolling,” said Winglass, who finished with 10 rebounds for a double-double and picked up three steals. “It feels great to have a chance of making the playoffs, and we realize that this is it. Leavitt is a good team, but we need to do it again.”
“Coming back to win, we have made Thursday night a big deal, knowing that if we win we are in and if we lose, we can still get in, but we are saying we have to win,” said Hayes.
Myers finished with 12 points and three steals in limited time, while Liam McDonough chipped in six points and Matt Munster 10 rebounds and five points. Keegan McDonough dished out a team-high five assists. Morse shot 58 percent (14 of 24) in the second half to close the game at 44 percent (22 of 49) from the floor. The Shipbuilders were 10 of 16 at the foul line.
AJ Oliver scored a team-high 18 points for Lincoln Academy, while Devin Scherer chipped in 12. The Eagles turned the ball over 30 times and were outrebounded 33-24.
Morse 57, Lincoln Academy 48
At Bath Middle School
Lincoln — 16 5 14 13 — 48
Morse — 4 17 18 18 — 57
Lincoln — Tom Masters 1-1-3, Sawyer Pinkham 3-0-6, AJ
Oliver 5-8-18, Devin Scherer 5-0-12, Caleb Farrin 1-0-2,
Brady Leeman 0-0-0, Seward Matel 0-3-3, Sam Genthner 0-
0-0, Travis Creamer 1-0-2, Luke Bibber 0-0-0, Adams
Zhong 0-0-0, Tyler Stevens 0-0-0, Eric Organ 0-0-0,
Spencer Alden 0-2-2, Brett Cowan 0-0-0. Totals — 16-14-
48.
Morse — D’Vaughn Myers 4-2-12, Jordan Lister 0-0-0,
Ethan Winglass 11-4-27, Kevin McKellar 0-0-0, Matt Munster 2-1-5, Casey Watson 0-0-0, Liam McDonough 2-2-6,
Trenton Moore 0-1-1, Paul Whalen 0-0-0, Jacob Freeman 1-
0-2, Keegan McDonough 2-0-4. Totals — 22-10-57.
3-point field goals — (LA) Scherer 2; (Mo) Myers 2, Winglass. Records — Morse 6-11, Lincoln Academy 3-14.
Next for the Shipbuilders — Thursday at home against
Leavitt, 7 p.m.
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