Undefeated in Three Rivers Conference play so far this season, the Manchester boys basketball team had a pivotal game against Maconaquah on Friday night. The stakes were simple: win and clinch a share of the TRC title with a chance to win it outright next week. Lose, and hope for a win on Tuesday for a share. It came down to the final minute, but the Squires were able to take home the gold with an 80-75 win.
The start the Squires got was exactly what the home team was looking for, as Manchester forced a timeout just two minutes into the contest with a quick 6-0 run. It would get up to eight unanswered points after the break before the Braves would finally answer with some points of their own. The Squires were doing an incredibly job of moving the ball around, with all five starters scoring the first five baskets of the game.
Rebounding was also a huge key for Manchester’s early successes. The Squires were able to hold Maconaquah to one or no shots on most possessions while getting two or three of their own on their turn down the court. Everything was rolling for the home side in the opening minutes.
It wouldn’t last forever though. The Braves were quick to answer, going on an extended run of their own in the final minutes of the first quarter, getting the lead down to three before Manchester’s Ethan Hendrix made it a five-point contest by banking in a midrange jumper at the buzzer.
After the initial Manchester run, the game really ramped up the intensity as the second quarter got going. The two sides took turns running up and down the court while displaying some rather efficient offenses. The Braves would use their trip on offense to cut away at the Squires lead, and the home team would answer on their end to extend once more.
While the consistency of each team remained the same, the way the teams were getting the points differed. Maconaquah was relying heavily on the tandem of AJ Kelly and Josiah Ball, who combined for 30 of the team’s 32 first half points. The Squires continued to move it very well, with Gavin Betten leading all scorers with 10 points and Hendrix (nine) and Gavin Martin (eight) not far behind.
The Braves would continue applying the pressure, getting the Manchester lead down to two late in the half. But the Squires would have enough in the tank to provide an answer, and went into the halftime locker room with a five-point advantage.
Betten began the second half much more aggressively, scoring the first six points for the Squires as the lead ballooned to nine for a short time. Momentum continued to shift on a dime, with neither side willing to let the other go on the game-defining run. The Braves had multiple opportunities in the third to make it a one-possession game, but each time, the Squires were there to answer once again. Carter Wagoner and Kaleb Kline each went scoreless in the first half, but were both able to come with big buckets when it mattered.

    Manchester junior Ethan Hendrix elevates for a jump shot during Friday night's home game against Maconaquah. Photo by Gary Nieter

With less than two minutes to go in the third, Manchester was finally able to find some separation once more, extending the lead to double digits for the first time in the game. After his hot start to the quarter, Betten would get it going in the final minutes here to get to 20 points on the night. As for his team, the Squires were in good shape heading into the fourth with an eleven-point lead under their belts.
It would not take long for it to shrink, as the Braves cut it down to eight two minutes into the final quarter. Betten continued to put the team on his back, coming up with crucial buckets each time it looked as if Maconaquah was primed to make a run. Garrett Sites also came up clutch with a few big buckets here as Manchester remained on top as time continued to wind down.
With four minutes left in the game, Martin, who had not made a shot since the first half, drained a huge three pointer to make it a 13-point affair. From that moment on, Maconquah took control of the game, hitting four straight shots to make it a four-point contest with two and a half to go. Rather than slow things down and try to wind down the clock, the Squires continued to play aggressively, which played right into the hands of the Braves.
With under a minute and a half to go, it was suddenly a one-possession game with Maconaquah down by just two. A pair of free throws by Martin made it a four-point game once more with a minute to go, but the Braves had yet another answer in them, hitting yet another three to make it a one-point game with 50 ticks left.
It would remain a one-point game when Maconaquah got the ball back with 20 seconds left on the clock and the chance to win the game on the final possession. With 12 seconds to go, the Braves would call timeout to draw up one final play.
They would not a final shot off. Hendrix would steal the ball and get it out of trouble. In the struggle, Betten was fouled by a Maconaquah player away from the ball, which would be deemed intentional. Another Braves player would pick up a technical for his fifth foul of the game, disqualifying him. Hendrix would make the four free throws that were awarded to put the game away for good.
Betten put up a double-double in the win, scoring 28 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Hendrix added 19 points in support while Martin scored 13.
Manchester (18-2, 8-0 TRC) is at home Tuesday night for a game against Whitko. A win in that one will clinch the TRC title for the Squires outright.