On Feb. 15, the Brooks boys’ basketball team got blown out in a 77-52 loss to rival Rivers. The setback marked a low point of an up-and-down winter that featured some impressive win streaks but was also marred by difficult losing skids.
Things didn’t immediately get better, either. Brooks dropped its next two games, including a 27-point drubbing to Belmont Hill.
However, those regular-season shortcomings made what Brooks accomplished in the postseason even more remarkable.
On March 9, just three weeks after that blowout loss to Rivers, senior guard Alex Wilkins drained a miraculous 3-pointer from the left wing with 3.4 seconds left, giving Brooks the NEPSAC Class B title with a 64-61 win over three-time defending champion Rivers.
So what changed?
“We talked all year about embracing adversity,” said third-year coach Kenya Jones. “Toward the end of the season, I told our players that our identity is embracing adversity. These kids didn’t quit. They listened. They bought in. I’m a tough coach to play for, but they bought in and this was the result.”
Despite finishing with a 12-13 record, Brooks earned the No. 6 seed in the NEPSAC Class B tournament after beating St. Mark’s and Roxbury Latin to close the regular season.
The postseason represented a fresh start.
Brooks opened the tournament with a 65-61 comeback victory in the quarterfinals over No. 3 Pomfret. Wilkins (Mattapan, Mass.) scored a team-high 28 points and junior Riley Clarke (Winchester, Mass.) stepped up with 16 points off the bench, including a late go-ahead triple.
The semifinals followed a similar story.
Brooks fell behind No. 2 Canterbury, 30-10, in the first half. But of course, they rallied as Wilkins poured in 31 points to fuel another comeback victory.
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That set up a Class B championship showdown against Rivers. Brooks hadn’t beaten Rivers since Jones took over the program ahead of the 2022-23 season, and lost to Rivers in each of the last two postseasons.
“We lost three times to them last year, twice this year, it was a blessing to be able to play them again,” said Wilkins.
Rivers took control early, opening a double-digit first-half lead. But Wilkins drained a pair of 3-pointers late in the opening half, including one at the horn that bounced off the rim and the backboard before slipping through the net.
Brooks cut the halftime deficit to 38-35 and seized momentum. In a brilliant second half, the two teams traded bucket for bucket, neither giving another an inch.
Wilkins took over with the score tied 61-61 in the final seconds. The Furman commit, who stamped his mark as one of the best players in program history, caught a pass a few feet beyond the 3-point line with three seconds left on the shot clock. Wilkins took one hard dribble, looked up at the clock, and hoisted a contested shot. The shot had perfect rotation, traveled in the air and swished the net with 3.4 seconds left.
“That shot was going up no matter,” Wilkins said afterward.
After Emersen Davis stole Rivers’ inbounds pass, the celebration was on. The Brooks players streamed from the bench onto the court. They jumped up and down, hugging each other. Then, Jones lay face down on the floor as his players patted his back. When Jones finally stood on his feet, tears fell from his eyes.
“So many emotions right now,” said Wilkins. “We put in a ton of work this season. Our goal was to win this title. It’s just a blessing.”
Sometimes, a basketball season is full of inconsistencies. Brooks endured a five-game losing streak in December. Wilkins missed the first month of the season with an injury. They finished the regular season with a losing record.
But it’s safe to say Brooks peaked at the right time.
Wilkins got healthy and starred all winter, earning Class B tournament MVP honors. Davis and fellow guard Trokon Davis (Lowell, Mass.) stepped up to make big shots. Clarke returned on Feb. 26 after missing nine games with an ankle injury and made an important impact.
For Brooks, it was always about embracing adversity.
“We were the only team that could stop Rivers from four-peating,” said Jones. “It had to be that way. I felt it, and I told my guys we were going to win this game. Rivers is an incredible program but we had the discipline and execution. I’m so happy for this group for everything they’ve overcome.”
