Last night's boys basketball game had everything a great playoff game needs: a strong, enthusiastic crowd and even better play on the court. Hopkinton was the better team all night, as they kept Medfield's offense stuck in neutral for most parts of the game.
The Hillers had a 16-12 lead after the first quarter and extended that margin to 35-25 at the half. Matt Cahill looked to be Medfield's best weapon when he drove to the hoop. He drew several fouls and his free throws were a large majority of the team's points in the first half.
Hopkinton ended both the second and third quarters with half-court buzzer beater shots that took any momentum the Warriors had gained and swung it right back in their favor.
Gaining off that momentum, Hopkinton came out and practically hit every shot they took in the season half. At one point they led by 23, before Medfield made a run of their own, cutting the Hiller lead to six. That would be the closest Medfield would get it, as Hopkinton hit all their free throws down the stretch and came away with a 78-69 win on Medfield's home floor.
Hopkinton's Andrew McMillan and Mathew Locke were far and away the game's best players. Both seemed to hit every shot they contested. Not only were they making shots, but they were doing it a critical times.
For the third straight year, the Big Blue see their season end in the first round of the state playoffs. As for Hopkinton, they advance to the Central Regional Semifinal at WPI and will face Westboro.
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