EASTHAM — The Nauset boys basketball team secured a dramatic 59-58 comeback win over Fitchburg High School on Monday night in the MIAA Division 2 State Tournament to advance to the Round of 32, where the Warriors will face Pope Francis Prep from Springfield.
Senior captain Dillon White fought through contact to score the go-ahead jumper with 7.2 seconds remaining to help the Warriors upend the 29th-ranked Red Raiders (13-9). Fitchburg, which led by 11 at halftime, had taken a 58-57 lead on the previous possession.
Seeded 39th in the play-in game, the Warriors were rescued from a costly turnover at midcourt by a timeout called by Head Coach Kevin Harrigan. Senior guard Andrew Berardi knocked his defender over a fraction of a second after the whistle blew for the timely timeout.
But Nauset (13-8), which has played in five games decided by three points or fewer this season, remained composed.
Junior forward Liam Johnston cut out of the corner and found White open at the free-throw line. The six-foot-five White pushed toward the basket where he bounced off his defender before rising above outstretched hands to float a shot that hit the back of the rim and dropped in.
Fitchburg never got a final shot attempt off as it turned the ball over at midcourt, and Johnston threw the ball up in the air in jubilation.
The Warriors shrugged off slow starts in both halves and trailed by as many as 12 points after the break. White’s three-point play sparked a 7-0 run and got Nauset within 50-49 at the 3:47 mark before a 6-0 burst gave them a three-point lead.
The game saw three lead changes and one tie over the final 2:11, with White’s bucket proving to be the difference.
Meet of Champions
Sophomore Adian Brown narrowly missed out on qualifying for the finals in the boys 55-meter hurdles. He finished ninth with a time of 8.01 seconds, which was 0.02 slower than the last qualifier.
Madeline Mahoney placed 17th in the girls 1000-meter race. The sophomore posted a time of 3:07.64.
Junior Damian Bebber’s time of 1:27.92 in the boys 600-meter run got him an 18th-place finish, and freshman Violet Roche came in 19th in the girls 300-meter dash, which she ran in 42.87 seconds.
The Warriors hockey team and Cape Cod Furies were set to play their Round of 32 games at Charles Moore Arena in Orleans on Wednesday night.
