Vikings beat ORR, earn piece of conference title
A crowded field atop the South Coast Conference standings led to an unusual situation Sunday night. Fans of two Wareham rivals cheered on the Vikings during a 77-58 romp over Old Rochester Regional High School.
The win gave a piece of the South Coast Conference title to four teams – Wareham, Bourne, Apponequet and Old Rochester. All teams ended the regular season with 12-4 conference records.
During Sunday’s game, Apponequet and Bourne fans cheered on Wareham as the team had a pitched battle with Old Rochester in the first half, ending the second quarter with Wareham in the lead, 37-34.
While Old Rochester had a significant size advantage, Wareham relied on speed to wear down the Bulldogs.
“Everyone’s bigger than us,” said Head Coach Steve Faniel. “Our mantra is: we’re going to play 94 feet for 32 minutes…If you can last 32 minutes, you’ve got a shot to win.”
Wareham high scorers for Sunday’s game were senior forward Jovahn Thomas (29 points); freshman guard Dominic Mello (16 points); and senior guard Ashantay Taveres (14 points.)
The Vikings will return to the court for the first game of the Division 3 state tournament, time and location to be announced.