LOWELL, Mass. — There was something different about Somerset Berkley on Sunday afternoon. It started on the bus ride to the Tsongas Center, where the Raiders were unusually silent throughout the long trip.
“We knew they were locked in,” Somerset head coach Robert Slater said.
“It was kind of weird, kind of worried a little bit,” senior guard Brendan McDonald added.
The Raiders were dialed in from well before the jump, and fueled by some motivation, there was no stopping them. Somerset was dominant from start to finish in a 65-44 rout of three-time reigning champion Malden Catholic to claim the Division 2 boys championship. It’s the program’s first title since 1954.
Somerset lost to Malden Catholic in last season’s Final Four, and that defeat helped inspire this run from the Raiders. They returned most of that roster this winter, and after the return of senior forward Finn Bjork, who missed the start of the season due to an injury, they rolled. Somerset (24-1), with a core that’s been playing for three years together, was much better than its No. 6 seed indicated, and it all came together in toppling the top-seeded Lancers, who were the perceived favorite.
“I think we had a little bit of house money,” McDonald said. “Everybody assumed Malden Catholic, they’re going for the four-peat, they’re dominant all year, but we just came out aggressive. We had no fear of them.”
The Raiders held the Lancers to six points in the first quarter and expanded their lead to double digits early in the second. Dom Taylor (17 points) and the senior group of Max Finlaw (9 points), Bjork (11 points) and McDonald (12 points) kept making big plays and shots and never relented. Finlaw’s 3-pointer made it 32-12.
Somerset also executed its defensive game plan to perfection, which focused on limiting Malden Catholic star Matt Gaffney. Taylor and Alex Crook were mostly responsible for holding the senior down as he scored zero points in the first half and just seven for the game.
“Our kids practiced hard all week on stopping Matt Gaffney, who’s probably the best player in the state,” Slater said. “We had a great game plan, our coaches deserve a lot of credit.”
Somerset led by 14 at halftime, and while it sensed a championship, it knew it wasn’t close to over. Just last week, the Raiders trailed by double digits at halftime in their semifinal against Masconomet before roaring back with a huge third quarter to pull out the win. They stepped on the gas in the third, eventually pulling ahead by as many as 25 on Taylor’s putback at the third-quarter buzzer.
By then, all that was left to be decided was the final score. Slater watched in awe as his senior group made the game look easy in their dominance. They never let MC back into the game.
“Sometimes tonight, I felt like I was watching the game instead of coaching,” Slater said. “It’s a very proud moment for our school and community.”
Somerset wanted Malden Catholic after what happened last year. McDonald said it personally excited him as a “get-back” opportunity. Slater said last season’s defeat fueled them all winter. They only lost once again, and made no mistake about who’s the best in the state.
“We know how good we are,” Bjork said. “We think we’re the best team in the state.”
