BOSTON, Mass. — The schedule-makers of the New England Basketball League couldn’t have scripted a better ending to the regular season. Sunday’s finale between Newman and Putnam Science was not only a matchup of arguably the two best boys prep teams in New England, but also decided the regular-season championship and the top seed in next weekend’s league playoffs.
It didn’t disappoint. And in some ways, it may have exceeded the hype.
Putnam Science ultimately prevailed, 81-69, at the Track at New Balance in one of the most physical and emotional games of the season. Tempers flared before, after and during 40 minutes of the highest level of prep basketball you’ll find in New England.
The final score is not remotely indicative of how close this game was; neither team led by more than five for most of a wildly entertaining, back-and-forth game before the Mustangs made more plays down the stretch to pull away. The victory stamped an outstanding weekend for the defending prep national champions, which had to beat Cushing on Saturday and Newman on Sunday to leave Boston with the NEBL’s No. 1 seed.
