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HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL: Brockton hopes win over Hingham is a sign of what's to come

Jason Snow, The Enterprise
·4 min read

HINGHAM – Don't judge the Brockton High boys basketball team on its 3-5 record. Come early March when the Division 1 state tournament is in full swing, the Boxers are a team many will hope to avoid.

Case in point Monday night, as the Boxers took the non-league path to Hingham and stunned the Harbormen in narrow fashion, 54-53, to clinch their second consecutive win. When the MIAA released the first edition of the tournament power rankings last week, Hingham came in at No. 8 in Division 1 while the Boxers were No. 34. Brockton will have to finish inside the top 32 or with a record at .500 or better to reach the postseason.

Tied at 49, both teams were aiming to execute the perfect two-minute drill to close the game. Brockton's Cameron Monteiro came to the rescue, as the sophomore guard rose up from the left wing and buried a pivotal 3-pointer to hand his Boxers the lead and deflate the Hingham fans standing behind the basket.

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“His moxie, is the best way to put it – he just has it," Brockton coach Emanuel DeBarros said postgame of Monteiro. "He’s not afraid of the moment. He doesn’t stop. And he’s only a sophomore, so I’m proud of him.”

Brockton's Cameron Monteiro shoots a 3-pointer during a game against Hingham at Hingham High School on Monday, Jan. 24, 2022.
Brockton's Cameron Monteiro shoots a 3-pointer during a game against Hingham at Hingham High School on Monday, Jan. 24, 2022.

Monteiro, who finished with a game-high 20 points, consistently combatted the Hingham zone defense by carving down the lane and attacking the basket with a variety of finishes. When the defense focused on him, he distributed to the ready Dajon Burton for open looks from distance. Burton hit two 3-pointers and totaled 11 points.

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“After I saw they were in zone, I saw my teammates open and started kicking it out," said Monteiro, who picked up an offer to play football at UMass earlier this month. "They hit big threes, it definitely changed the game.”

“We were in a little slump, but guys started getting shots. We got a rhythm," Burton said. "I think it was important we hit those shots.”

Brockton's Dajon Burton ties up Hingham's Liam McBride during a game at Hingham High School on Monday, Jan. 24, 2022.
Brockton's Dajon Burton ties up Hingham's Liam McBride during a game at Hingham High School on Monday, Jan. 24, 2022.

Brockton, which started the season 1-5 and had several games postponed, fell on the wrong side of narrow finishes in the first two games of the season (70-68 to Dracut and 73-71 to BC High, where the Eagles won the game at the buzzer). Winning a tight one on Monday spurred a sigh of relief.

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“Honestly, I just feel like we’ve been putting in the work to get one of these wins and finally, the ball bounced (our way),” DeBarros said. “For us, it’s a big win. We’ve been knocking at the door and the basketball gods gave us one.”

“It was a win that we needed," Monteiro said. "We needed something to spark the season because we’re running out of games. We’ve just got to keep it going.”

Brockton's Dajon Burton squares up for a 3-pointer during a game against Hingham at Hingham High School on Monday, Jan. 24, 2022.
Brockton's Dajon Burton squares up for a 3-pointer during a game against Hingham at Hingham High School on Monday, Jan. 24, 2022.

The Boxers held a 10-point advantage over Hingham midway through the second quarter on Monday after a Monteiro 3-pointer from the top of the key, and carried a slim lead into the halftime break.

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Hingham, which was led by a combined 35 points from Nick Johannes (19 points) and Liam McBride (16), fought back to close the gap to one possession in the second half and the game was decided after a few potential game-winning tip-ins from Hingham fell off the mark as time expired.

“I’m more happy for the guys. They’ve really been trying to figure it out and in practice, they’ve been going hard. I know how much it means to them. It’s been a tough season," DeBarros said. "With COVID and everything going on, these guys are a resilient group.”

DeBarros added the gauntlet of high school basketball won't allow his Boxers to cherish the win over Hingham as Brockton eyes its third consecutive win in Cambridge on Friday night at 7. A tough Whitman-Hanson team also lies ahead on the Boxers' schedule.

“We’ve been competing with top teams. I think we just get it together, learn how to finish games," Monteiro said. "We could go far in the tournament – we could definitely go far.”

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL: Monteiro, Brockton closes game in Hingham