Sweet No. 13

OLD ORCHARD BEACH — The number 13 carries negative connotations, however, when the number represents a winning streak, the bad luck becomes an after thought.

For Old Orchard Beach, the latter holds true after being Hyde Thursday night, 67-47, ending the regular season with a 13-game winning streak.

“You want to go into the tournament with momentum,” said Old Orchard Beach head coach John Regan. “I thought we did that.”

The Seagulls used their big forwards, dishing the ball underneath the glass and forcing Hyde backwards without any answer to preventing easy layups.

Old Orchard senior Branden Ouelette presented an intensity that went unmatched throughout the contest. Crashing the boards, Ouelette ripped down 10 rebounds and led the Seagulls in scoring with 21 points. An effort that senior Dean Perrone complemented as he scored 10 points.

“Our inside game, they played well tonight,” said Regan. “Those two [Ouelette and Perrone], they are big and they are physical inside.

On a night that also happened to be ”˜senior night’ for the Seagulls, Ouelette and Perrone charged the defensive and offensive efforts. When Hyde controlled the ball, Old Orchard blocked out the outside game. When Hyde searched for points down low, Old Orchard swiped the ball from the glass.

Following a 12-10 first half and an a 8-0 run for Hyde, Old Orchard allowed a four points and scored 17 points of its own. The second period marked the beginning of the end for Hyde, while Old Orchard finished the season 9-0 at home.

“There is no better feeling in the world than not losing at home,” Ouelette said.

The teams exchanged scores in the third quarter, but a 3 from Ouelette added insult to injury. An attempted 3 by Hyde junior Ted Cercos at the buzzer fell through the net, however, the referees called it off.

In the final period, Harry Smith, the leading scorer for Hyde with 24 points, received a technical foul that locked the door on any chance of a late run. The composure that Hyde appeared to have early in the game dissipated, and Old Orchard celebrated its seniors, its undefeated home record, and a 13th straight victory.

Old Orchard Beach is currently fourth in the Heal Points.

“When coming into it, it was a very big night for us,” said Ouelette. “Whether going up in the heal points or staying at third, it was an emotional night.”