Boys hoop bolsters playoff odds with win over Sharon

Senior Caden Mirliani had a team-high 15 points, including the game-winning three, in Friday’s upset win over Sharon. (Mike Tureski photo)

The CHS boys basketball team did itself a big favor in its push for a playoff spot by knocking off an 11-3 Sharon squad 46-43 Friday night at home.

The upset victory put the Bulldogs back over .500 at 8-7 overall and also likely boosted its power ranking thanks to the quality of the opponent, which came into this week ranked No. 4 in all of Division 2. Canton currently sits at No. 17 and would comfortably be in the tournament if the season were to end today with the top 32 teams in each division advancing to the state playoffs.

Senior Caden Mirliani was the hero for the Bulldogs in the Sharon win as he scored a team-high 15 points and knocked down three three-point shots, including a go-ahead three with less than six seconds remaining in the game. Mirliani also had four assists and three steals and helped fill the shooting void left by the absence of classmate Matt Chafin, who missed the game due to an injury.

Junior Jeremiah Predin also had a big night for the victors, recording a double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds) to go along with two steals and two assists, including the assist to Mirliani on his game-winning basket.

Other top performers for the Bulldogs included junior Jamaal McConnell, who finished with nine points, seven rebounds and two assists; and senior Kareem Porter, who pulled down seven rebounds in his first career start after coming back from an injury and also scored the game-tying layup with 47 seconds left off a pass from Mirliani.

Head coach Eric MacKinnon said Porter also played great defense on Sharon’s leading scorer, Nate Katznelson, who was held to just 10 points on four of 15 shooting for the game.

The game started out as a defensive battle with the Bulldogs clinging to a two-point lead at the half. But the Sharon offense woke up in the third quarter and they appeared well on their way to another comfortable win after a 17-7 run put the Eagles up by eight.

Canton, however, refused to quit and managed to whittle down the Sharon lead to just three with less than two minutes remaining. A free-throw by McConnell would cut it to two, and then Porter connected on the layup to tie the score at 43-all. Forty seconds later, he would find Mirliani for the game-winning shot.

“I’m so proud of our group for this win,” said MacKinnon. “We showed great resilience and toughness throughout the entire game.”

MacKinnon said it was especially impressive considering that the Eagles are one of the most dynamic offenses in Division 2. “To hold them to 43 points is a testament to our team’s commitment to getting stops and finishing possessions,” he said.

The Bulldogs did not have as much success in an earlier game against Attleboro, falling 58-38 on the road last Monday.

Predin paced the visitors in the losing effort with 10 points and six rebounds while McConnell added six points and five rebounds.

“Our slow start dictated the outcome of this game,” MacKinnon said afterwards. “Attleboro was ready to play and was the much better team. The deficit after the first two quarters made it hard for us to overcome.”

The Bulldogs had a pair of home games scheduled for this week against Stoughton and Oliver Ames and will head to Foxboro on Tuesday, February 14. The team then visits Mansfield before wrapping up the regular season with a home game on February 21 against nonleague Wakefield.

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Posted by Mike Berger on Feb 9 2023. Filed under High School, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.