Boys basketball: Jon Breor goes for 31 points, 20 rebounds as Greenfield hammers Duggan 76-42 in Div. 5 tourney (PHOTOS)

By GEORGE MILLER

For the Recorder

Published: 03-02-2023 8:55 PM

GREENFIELD — It's never easy, despite what the scoreboard may say, but Greenfield has certainly made it look easy while mopping up its first two opponents in the boys MIAA Division 5 basketball tournament.

The Green Wave used a dominant second quarter, during which it held visiting Duggan Academy without a field goal, to expand an eight-point lead to 19 points by halftime Thursday night. The hosts' cushion only ballooned from there in a 76-42 wipeout of the Jayhawks at Nichols Gymnasium.

Jon Breor was a tower of strength in the middle for the Wave, piling up 31 points and 20 rebounds. Caleb Thomas added 15 points and eight Greenfield players scored in all, helping the 12th-seeded Wave improve to 15-8 entering its upcoming Round of 16 game against either Maynard or Hull.

"They're pretty quick and athletic, and we knew we would have to take away their driving lanes. For the most part, we did a good job contesting their shots, boxing out and rebounding," said Greenfield coach Angelo Thomas. "It's fun to coach a game like this, where the kids feel a little less stress and we can get some of our other guys in there."

Caleb Thomas got Greenfield started with a 3-pointer just 26 seconds into the action, before 21st-seeded Duggan (15-5) hit back with six straight points, including a pair of buckets from Jaylen Edwards. Jacob Blanchard knocked down a right-corner trey to tie the game, followed by three inside baskets by Breor and another long ball from Thomas, to make it 15-8 for Greenfield and forcing a Duggan timeout with 2:37 left in the first quarter.

The Wave's lead was nine at 19-10 when Miguel Dones stuck a 3 for the Jayhawks with 26 seconds to play, but Caleb Murray hit a mid-range pop from right of the lane to create a 21-13 score at the end of one.

After Dones' 3-pointer, Duggan went without a field goal for the next 9:05, until Dones scored again 39 seconds into the third quarter. In the interim, Edwards scored his team's only two points at the foul line with 1:22 to go before the half. Breor put up seven of Greenfield's 13 points in the second, with Thomas adding another from beyond the arc. Breor made both ends of a one-and-one at the 21-second mark to give the Wave a 34-15 halftime advantage, behind Breor's 13 points and nine by Thomas.

"At halftime, we just talked about how we didn't want 19 (the margin) to become eight," said Angelo Thomas. "Those first five, six minutes of the third quarter, we had to bring the energy."

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Breor was the biggest part of that, with 16 of the Green Wave's 18 third-quarter points.

"In the beginning, I missed my first couple of shots, and I didn't know what kind of game it was going to be," said the sophomore. "I just wanted to keep attacking and try to get fouled. Once I can get to the foul line and start making free throws, that's when I can start playing my game."

Greenfield led 52-29 after three, then began the final quarter with the first 10 points and a 16-2 run overall, making it a game-set-match 68-31.

Other key Wave contributors included Jackson Campbell with seven points, Blanchard and Murray each with six, and freshman David Jung with five coming off the bench.

Duggan was led by Edwards with 19 points and Dones finished with 10.

The Green Wave have averaged a 45-point victory margin in the first two rounds of state play and now await the Maynard-Hull winner in a game scheduled for Friday night at Maynard, weather permitting. Angelo Thomas is quite familiar with Maynard, the No. 5 seed in this year's tournament and defending Division 5 state champion. In both 2016 and 2017, the Tigers knocked out Thomas' Hopkins Academy teams in the Division 4 state semifinals.

"If we gotta go to Maynard, that's what we gotta do," said Thomas. "It's a really good program, and I've watched film on them already. We've had tough games on the road before. We just have to bring it. It's a good squad, I'm excited, and this is what March madness is all about."

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