Stinson Pushes Winch Past New Hampton in 2OT

BEVERLY, Mass. -- Curtis Stinson (right) scored 10 of his game high 28 points in overtime and hit the winning basket as the Winchendon School upended New Hampton, 82-81, in double overtime on Wednesday at the NEPSAC quarters.

Stinson, who's headed to Iowa State, drove to the basket and scored on a short jumper despite tough defense by New Hampton's Todd Checovich with 4.2 seconds left. The Huskies raced down the court to get off a potential game winning shot of their own, but guard Tom Leikas missed on an off balance drive as the buzzer sounded.

"My coach told me that I am the senior and that I have to be able to take control of the game, and that's what I wanted to do," Stinson said. "I wanted to take control of the game, help my team win and get past the first round."

It appeared as if Stinson might have pushed off Checovich to get the open look on the game winning basket.

"I had to, to get open a little bit," he admitted. "But he gave me just enough room to where I could get the shot off."

Stinson brought the Green Wave back from a 33-27 half-time deficit early in the second half by getting to the basket and scoring consistently.

New Hampton limped out of the second half gate, scoring just four baskets in the first 10 minutes. Stinson scored on a driving lay-in to give Winchendon a 49-40 lead with 9:35 left to play, and the Green Wave led by as many as 10 points with just over four minutes remaining.

The Huskies rallied by behind guard Mike Cook, who keyed a 12-2 game ending run to force overtime. Cook hit a pair of free throws and scored the final basket of regulation at the 1:28 mark as New Hampton pulled even at 62. Both teams frittered away chances to win the game in regulation, and the Green Wave missed the front end of three one and one opportunities to assist the Husky comeback.

In the first overtime, New Hampton led by as many as four points with 34.3 seconds left. Stinson scored on a drive and Donovan Morris hit a three pointer with 12.7 seconds left (sandwiched around a Mike Cook free throw) to deadlock the game at 75 and send it into a second overtime.

In the second extra session, Arkansas signee Julius Lamptey connected on a pair of free throws to give the Huskies an 81-80 lead with 1:25 remaining. Winchendon missed a pair of shots, giving the ball back to New Hampton, but guard Tony Chatman was whistled for traveling with 15 ticks left on the clock, giving the Green Wave and Stinson one last chance for victory.

Morris was big in the second half for Winchendon, scoring nine of 18 points in that stanza as the Green Wave rallied from its half-time deficit. Richmond bound Andres Sandoval (10 points) and Miami signee Karron Clarke (10 points) also registered double figures for Winchendon.

Cook carried New Hampton with 26 points, while Leikas had perhaps his finest game of the season, chipping in 19 points.

"We all had our chances to win the game," said New Hampton Head Coach Jamie Arsenault. "In some games, it looks like everyone is trying to lose the game, but in this one, it was two good teams trying to win it."

"We each had big plays to get back into it, and we each had big plays to try and win it," Arsenault continued. "There were a couple of questionable calls down the stretch, but you take that in stride and try to get a chance to win it."

With the loss, New Hampton's season ended at 14-15. Winchendon will face sixth seeded Brewster Academy in a 6:00 p.m. semifinal tilt on Friday, Feb. 28 at Endicott College in Beverly, Mass.