Sharon earns berth in D2 title game
Sharon 64 Bedford 63
Jacob McLoughlin made all the right plays down the stretch, and Sharon needed every one of them.
The senior point guard finished Tuesday’s thrilling state semifinals matchup against Bedford at UMass Boston with a game-high 28 points, and his eighth assist of the night hit Jackson Rava right in his shooting pocket for a clutch 3-pointer with 2.3 seconds remaining that lifted Sharon to a 64-63 victory, resulting in the program’s first appearance in the state final since 1991.
“I was really just trying to get to the rack,” said McLoughlin. “They collapsed and I found Jackson. Everyone has stepped up in big moments and I trust my teammates.”
The seventh-seeded Eagles (17-7) will meet two-time defending Division 2 champion Malden Catholic (15-9) in the state final Friday at 6 p.m. at Lowell’s Tsongas Center.
Both programs in this matchTrevor up have undergone remarkable turnarounds over the past few years, with No. 14 Bedford (19-4) reaching the state semifinals for the first time since 2016.
The Bucs took a 31-23 halftime lead behind strong interior play from seniors Cam Shoesmith (25 points, 10 rebounds) and Justice Buchannan (18 points, 5 assists), who dropped 13 points in the second quarter.
Then Sharon went to a zone defense and McLoughlin began to take over offensively with a series of tough driving layups and deft passes.
“I look like a really good coach because Jake McLoughlin’s my point guard,” said Sharon coach Andrew Ferguson. “If there’s a player playing better than him in the state, I haven’t seen it. I told him we’re going as far as he takes us and he’s taken us to the state championship.”
Forman provided four 3-pointers off the bench, including three in the fourth quarter to spot Bedford a 55-48 lead. Shoesmith made it 63-58 with less than a minute to go, but Nate Katznelson (12 points) responded with a huge triple and Rava’s 3-pointer sealed it.
“It’s a tough one to take,” said Bedford coach Anthony Halls. “This is a special class of guys and they’ve played together for so long. I hurt for them, but moving forward, they set a foundation, and a way to play basketball at Bedford.”
Sharon last reached the semifinals in 2000 and has struggled in the Hockomock League for several years prior to the ascendancy of McLoughlin and Katznelson, who reached 1,000 career points earlier this season.
“We were 2-18 six years ago,” said Ferguson. “The rebirth of this program, through the hard work of these kids, has been tremendous.
“The students have gotten behind these kids. I’m so happy for the community, the alumni., it’s for those guys, too.”