YARMOUTH — Some might call it winning ugly, but Yarmouth’s boys’ basketball team views it as business as usual.
The process might not always be pretty, but so far this winter, the end result has been a victory.
Every time.
Even with senior standouts Peter Psyhogeos and Matt Waeldner largely held in check Saturday afternoon by the visiting Greely Rangers, the Clippers relied on their defense and timely offense from unexpected sources to remain unbeaten.
Yarmouth got fourth-quarter 3-pointers from Sutter Augur and Nate Hagedorn and closed the game on a 9-0 run to secure a 40-30 win and improve to 7-0.
“I would say recently all we’ve done is win ugly,” said Clippers Coach Jonas Allen. “I think we’re a pretty good defensive team, but tonight, this was a different level. I give my guys credit.”
Greely (4-4) managed just one basket in the first quarter, and a late 3-pointer by Waeldner stretched Yarmouth’s lead to 12-2 after eight minutes. But the Clippers couldn’t produce a knockout punch, and thanks in large part to senior big man Dee Martin Coyne, Greely trailed only 18-10 at the half.
The Rangers then got as close as three points in the third quarter, 24-21, on a layup from Andrew St. Hilaire before Psyhogeos set up Waeldner for a fast-break layup at the horn to make it 26-21.
Greely then started the fourth quarter with a putback from St. Hilaire, a layup from Liam Gardner and a jump shot from Timmy Walker with 5:23 remaining to lead for the first time. Fourteen seconds later, Augur calmly knocked down a 3 to put Yarmouth ahead to stay, 27-26.
“I was wide open and just let it fly and it went in,” said Augur, who finished with eight points and nine rebounds. “It felt good off my hand.”
Psyhogeos added a jump shot before Max Cloutier hit a 3 to pull Greely within a point with 4:12 to go.
But the Rangers didn’t score again. After Yarmouth reserve Nate Hagedorn made a 3-pointer – his lone shot of the game – Psyhogeos twice blocked shots, reserve Jack McCosh went sliding to keep possession after a missed foul shot, then Psyhogeos sank six free throws down the stretch to put it away.
Psyhogeos finished with 13 points, while Waeldner added 11. But it was a team-wide effort that allowed Yarmouth to prevail.
“I’m thankful some of my teammates stepped up and hit some really big shots tonight,” said Psyhogeos, who also grabbed 12 rebounds. “We just did what we had to do to win.”
Greely got a double-double from Coyne (10 points, 18 rebounds) and eight points from St. Hilaire, but lost its fourth game in a row.
“Defensively, we did what we wanted, to keep them around 40, but we just couldn’t buy a basket in the fourth quarter,” said Rangers Coach Travis Seaver. “It’s been a tough week for us, but we’re still competing, which is all I can ask for.”
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