Wahconah Advances to Division 4 Quarter-Finals

DALTON, Mass. -- The Wahconah boys basketball team defended its home court with a hard-fought 60-54 win over New Heights Charter in the Division 4 State Tournament Sweet 16 on Wednesday.

 

Jack DuCharme led all scorers with 18 points, knocking down five 3-pointers. Sam McLaughlin added 17 points, and Jake Wasuk chipped in 13 in a physical, back-and-forth contest.

 

Wahconah set the tone early with a quick 5-0 run, igniting the home crowd after DuCharme buried his first 3 of the night. The aggressive play of New Heights sent Wahconah to the free throw line frequently in the opening quarter. Wahconah capitalized by hitting 10 of 11 from the stripe to take an 18-12 lead after one.

 

New Heights settled in during the second quarter, opening with a 6-0 run and finding its rhythm from beyond the arc. The teams traded baskets throughout the period, with neither able to create much separation.

 

“It’s that time of the year. We talk about it all the time. There are going to be runs, and we have to roll with the punches and come back,” Wahconah coach Dustin Belcher said. “Every time we get knocked down, we have to get back up. When adversity hits, we have to hit back.”

 

Wahconah’s offense began to click in the third quarter, moving the ball effectively side to side and inside out to create open looks. DuCharme caught fire, draining five 3-pointers in the period alone. New Heights managed to tie the game at 40-40, but Wahconah responded with a quick 5-0 burst. Wasuk then delivered a buzzer-beating layup to give Wahconah a four-point edge heading into the final quarter.

 

New Heights used its size to battle on the boards in the second half, earning second chance opportunities that helped knot the game at 47-47 midway through the fourth.

 

The decisive run came from Wahconah. McLaughlin grabbed a key offensive rebound and converted to push the lead to 53-49 with under four minutes remaining. Moments later, DuCharme attacked the rim for an and-one, extending the lead to seven, the largest of the night, and effectively sealing the win.

 

“We’ve been in tight games all year long. We’ve won some and lost some, but I think tonight I saw a level of confidence in the fourth quarter that we didn’t have in some of those previous games,” Belcher said. “We have to be in those tight games in order to get better. Every one of these guys makes each other better in practice. Everyone on this roster contributes to every victory on the court, and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

 

Wahconah’s defensive effort down the stretch secured the victory and sent Wahconah on to face Wareham in the Division 4 State Tournament quarterfinals.