Cumberland eyes trip to Ryan Center
No. 4 Clippers meet Middletown for spot in Open tourney Final Four
CUMBERLAND — Schedule-wise, things are starting to feel normal once again for a Cumberland High boys’ basketball outfit that’s been forced to sit tight and wait for much of this postseason.
When the fourth-seeded Clippers play Open tournament’s 2018 answer to Cinderella – No. 12 Middletown – tonight (7:00) at CCRI-Warwick, it will mark just their fourth contest since playing their final regular season on Feb. 12. Granted, a lot teams are in the same boat as Cumberland – Middletown went eight days between playoff contests.
With a trip to the Final Four at stake Sunday, Cumberland head coach Gary Reedy admitted that his team has finally emerged from its fact-finding mission.
Losing to East Greenwich in the Division II semifinals and riding the roller coaster of an up-and-down performance in last Thursday’s state playoff opener against Tiverton helped in creating this starting-from-scratch vibe at a point in the season where everyone should be humming along and on the same page.
Granted, the Avengers and Tigers each armed themselves with defensive strategies that succeeded in making the Clippers work extra hard. There’s also the factor of playing so few games over a lengthy time span and how stretches of inactivity can break a team’s steady groove, which Cumberland was in en route to losing just once during the regular season.
“It’s been a lot different, going from playing three games a week, sometimes four, to playing one here or there” said junior Jackson Zancan. “We’ve been working hard in practice trying to keep our endurance up.”
After holding on for a frantic 48-47 win over No. 5 North Kingstown last Thursday in the opening round of the state playoffs, Middletown head coach Kevin Lendrum spoke about the conundrum that goes with trying to stay sharp when game competition isn’t readily available.
“We had a group scrimmage for half an hour straight a few days [before the NK game] just to try and get the legs back,” said Lendrum. “There were a couple times where we were winded, but we did what we had to do. The layoffs can be difficult, but you find ways to stay active. Now we have two days off before our next game, so it’s back to feeling like it’s the regular season.”
Reedy echoed Lendrum’s sentiments that it’s starting to feel like things are back to normal. Both appreciated the R.I. Interscholastic League for setting up the bracket in a fashion where the Clippers and Islanders represent the last game of the four-game card that’s on tap at CCRI. The action kicks off at high noon with Mount Pleasant taking on La Salle. The 2:30 matchup pits South Kingstown against Narragansett with Bishop Hendricken taking on Cranston East at 5 p.m.
Cumberland and Middletown did cross paths during the regular season, the Clippers holding on for a 74-67 win on Jan. 16 at the Wellness Center. Reedy says his club at the moment is dealing with injuries and illnesses but noted the players are fully aware of the significant prize that awaits should Cumberland get past Middletown.
“I think the kids are starting to get used to being in the playoffs and the pressure,” said Reedy. “They know what it’s about I think we’re going to be on our way, but this game is going to be a rock fight. We’ve talked about what it would mean for the program if we got to the Final Four. It would be tremendous for the school and the town, but we’ve got to get there first.”