Springfield falls to Mill River on senior night

Springfield hoped to deliver a victory in its final home game of the season. Mill River had other plans.
http://eagletimes.villagesoup.com/p/springfield-falls-to-mill-river-on-senior-night/1305727

Springfield falls to Mill River on senior night By Jason Orfao | Feb 17, 2015 Photo by: Jason Orfao Springfield senior Josh Rivers puts up a shot in between a pair of Mill River defenders on Monday night during the Cosmos' 56-34 loss at Dressel Gym. SPRINGFIELD — Springfield hoped to deliver a victory in its final home game of the season. Mill River had other plans. Mike Morgan scored 10 of his game-high 18 points in the first 90 seconds of play, sparking the Minutemen to a 56-34 win over Springfield on senior night in a VPA Division II boys basketball tilt at Dressel Gym. The Cosmos (3-16) trailed 23-6 after the first quarter and despite improved play in the second frame, Mill River held a 36-17 cushion by halftime and never let Springfield any closer. Seniors Josh Rivers, Ed Shambo, Matt Graham, Tanner Shumski and Michael Kollman were recognized before the game for their contributions to the program. Rivers led Springfield with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Shambo added six points and three assists, while Graham chipped in five points and two helpers. Kollman tallied a team-high three steals. Springfield coach Tim MacDonnell has appreciated what his seniors have brought to the team, even if the results have been difficult to digest since winning three of their first five games. “Its tough,” MacDonnell explained. “I know it’s hard to lose on your senior night. They’ve put a lot of energy and effort in this gym from the time they were in fourth or fifth grade for some of them. “Right now, in the moment, it hurts and it’s tough to remove yourself from that moment,” he added. “But they’ll look back in 10 years and go, ‘I had a great experience playing high school basketball.’ It stings right now and I know it will for a while, but hopefully they’ll be able to look back on the memories.” Morgan paced the Minutemen (9-10) early. The sophomore made his first four shots, including two from beyond the arc. “Michael can score a lot of points in a hurry,” said Mill River coach Jim Taggart. “He can really score the basketball and that got us off to a great start.” “I thought we did a decent job of contesting shots, he just made plays,” said MacDonnell of Morgan. “He’s a good player.” Dylan Shelvey was a force in the paint for the Minutemen, as the junior finished with 17 points and 15 rebounds. Ben Smith, a senior, supplied a strong all-around effort with seven points, nine boards and nine assists. “Ben Smith is not our point guard, but we play a lot of our offense through him and he did a great job,” said Taggart. “Those are our three players and they all contributed quite a bit tonight.” The victory puts Mill River in a position to host a playoff game in the Division II playoffs. It’s been a long road for the Minutemen, who endured a last-minute coaching change. “We should solidify an eight-seed with that win. That means a home game for us in the playoffs in a year that started with a lot of controversy,” said Taggart. “I was hired really late and we’ve been a work in progress all year. It’s really reflective of how hard everyone has worked that we are likely to have a home game.” Springfield will aim to end its regular season on a high note Friday at Fair Haven. Mill River concludes its regular season Friday against Burr & Burton.