BC High completes comeback on Springfield Central, advances to Division 1 state title game

WORCESTER — The undefeated, top-ranked BC High boys basketball team has won games in a variety of ways this year, but the word "comeback" hadn't been mentioned until now.

Behind an uplifting offensive surge from their leading-scorer and sparks on both ends from his pair of wingmen, the Eagles defeated No. 4 Springfield Central 66-60 Wednesday night at Worcester State University to advance to the Division 1 state title game against second-seeded Newton North at Tsongas Center in Lowell (date/time TBD).

More: MIAA Final Four: Find all high school hockey and basketball state semifinal scores here

Trailing 55-48 with approximately two minutes to play, BC High needed answers as Springfield Central had just drilled back-to-back 3-pointers to build its resounding lead. That's when Mike Loughnane, Greg Cooper and Mahari Guerrier stepped in.

Cooper knocked down a corner triple of his own, right in front of the Eagles' student section to nearly saw the deficit in half (55-51). A layup from Loughnane trimmed it to just two with 1:48 remaining, and a crucial steal from Guerrier led to a high-arcing 3-pointer from Loughnane that provided the bracket's top seed a rare, and precious, lead (56-55 with 1:30 left).

“I realized that as soon as they passed the ball inside, they didn’t really look for other defenders so I just tried getting the steal, helping out and double-teaming in the paint," Guerrier said of the defensive play.

More: Bill Loughnane and BC High boys basketball team adds another milestone to special season

Loughnane led with a game-high 32 points, while Cooper (16 points) and Guerrier (11 points) combined for 27.

“I thought Mahari and Greg started to play like we know they can play and they stepped up big," head coach Bill Loughnane said. "We needed some more options and they did a great job stepping up in that last period.”

Playing in its first state semifinal game since 2008, BC High quickly fell behind and only had six points to show for the first four minutes of action. Two of those points were stuffed through the rim on a designed alley-oop play from Mike Loughnane to Cooper on the game's first possession, but in response, Springfield Central capitalized on some of the Eagles' ensuing lapses to emerge with a 25-12 lead after one.

“We knew they would push us. They’re winners, they’re high-level athletes. We knew they wouldn’t come in and fold," Mike Loughnane said. "I think they won three straight football championships so there was no doubt coming in that they’d be able to hang with us. We just had to stay true to us. We came in believing they’re a great team, but we think we’re a little bit better.”

More: A scorer at heart, BC High's Mike Loughnane surpasses 1,000 career points

Mike Loughnane answered the first quarter deficit with an offensive roll that included four straight makes, three of which from distance. Each one helped BC High creep within single digits until one banked in from extreme range to pull the Eagles within four, 29-25, midway through the second quarter.

“I knew we needed a pick-me-up on offense," Mike Loughnane described the spurt. "I just started shooting it, knowing that if we’re not hitting shots, someone’s gotta shoot it."

A ball-fake and leaning mid-range jump shot from Loughnane at the 5-minute mark of the fourth quarter also clinched the team's first lead since the game's early-going (48-47). The Eagles had trailed as much as 13 earlier.

“I thought our guys did a nice job of responding and playing hard. When we were down that much, I still had faith in them," Bill Loughnane said. "I know we can make a shot, I thought we started rebounding better at the end. It was fun. I’m glad for them. They kept battling.”

Now one game away from a chance at securing its first state title since 2007, BC High's undefeated season (24-0) faces yet another tough test in No. 2 Newton North, which defeated No. 3 Andover, 55-49, on Wednesday.

“We just think the job is not finished," Cooper said. "We’ve got one more game to go. We're keeping our heads steady.”

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: BC High boys basketball team advances to D1 state title game