Sports
Brookline Readies for Newton North Showdown
After splitting a pair of games against Braintree and Framingham, the Warriors will face Newton North at home tonight.
As Brookline basketball comes down to its final five games of the season, head coach Mark Fiedor knows that it’s make-or-break time for the Warriors.
Brookline’s record stands at 7-8 after a second consecutive one-point loss (54-53) to Braintree on Tuesday night and a 60-48 victory over Framingham last night. Fiedor said that today’s 4 p.m. home game against Newton North could propel the Warriors back into the playoff picture in the Bay State league, but execution will be critical.
“There’s no easy remedy for this game,” Fiedor said. “We need to put the work in at the gym and show it on Friday.”
Find out what's happening in Brooklinefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Fiedor’s desire for better focus from his squad has been a theme all season, but its propensity for damaging turnovers in key moments was on display on Tuesday night. Though Brookline went down 14-0 early to the Wamps, it fought to take a halftime lead and a 5-point lead in the fourth quarter. The game unraveled for the Warriors when they had a chance to take command of the game but instead committed four turnovers and ended up with the single-point defeat.
“It’s disheartening to lose like that, when turnovers are still a problem, and it took a lot of energy to come back,” Fiedor said. “It’s almost like you’re on a roller coaster because the talent’s there but not the consistency.”
Find out what's happening in Brooklinefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Ball care was an issue again last night against Framingham, with 21 turnovers, but Brookline was able to overcome them in the 60-48 win. The win, however, doesn’t take his team off the hook in terms of execution in Fiedor’s eyes.
“We had a chance to expand the lead even further but we were turning the ball over in the fourth quarter again,” Fiedor said. “They need to be students of the game and realize this isn’t AAU ball. Games against tough teams are like chess matches and require you to study your opponent.”
Guard Stephen O’Neal was a bright spot for the Warriors offense again this week, as he poured in 27 points on Tuesday night and 15 points last night against Framingham. A surprise contributor last night was freshman Anthony Jennings, who scored eight points to go along with eight rebounds in his first varsity game.
Brookline last faced Newton North on the road on Jan. 14 and lost 62-50.
