BLACKSTONE VALLEY MEMORIES

March 23

1966Pawtucket FOP paced by Johnny Washington’s gamehigh 25 points rolled past the Rejects 93-68 to advance to the finals of the R. I. Junior Basketball Tournament at the Pawtucket Boys’ Club. Four teammates supported Washington’s output with double digits: John Wilson netting 16 points followed by Jim Nelson with 13, Karl Augustein 12 and Don Suggs, former Tolman star who is now in prep school, with 10.

1986Andrew Butler fired in a game-high 17 points as Manhattan Housing of Pawtucket advanced to the finals of the Pawtucket Boys’ Club-Rotary Club Junior Basketball Tournament by defeating the Warriors of Central Falls 70-51. Bob Ciallella and Neal Butler chipped in with 14 and 12 points, respectively, for Manhattan. Dave Kingsley tallied 14 points in a losing cause for the Warriors.

1996The 1996 Times All-Area Basketball First Team features two Saint Raphael Academy players from a quintet that posted a 25-3 record en route to the Class A championship as well as the Class A-3 title. Guard Jason Bennett, easily the best long range bomber in the state who led The Times area in scoring (22.3 ppg) and three-point shots (79), and forward Luis Galagarza, a jack of all trades and master of everything who averaged 17.3 ppg, are the SRA selections. Rounding out the First Team are 6foot-7, 240-pound freshman center Leland Anderson from Attleboro (18.6 ppg), East Providence guard Max Whiting (18.8 ppg) and Mike Balmforth of Tolman, the Tigers “quarterback” who finished eighth in area scoring with an 18.2 mark.