Hopedale drew up the play, and Patrick Madden delivered a layup to Division 5 boys' basketball final
— Brendan Kurie (@BrendanKurie)
Madden pump faked, drove baseline and contorted his body for a difficult layup with 3.6 seconds left. One defensive stop later, Hopedale was headed to the state championship, where it will face top-seeded Pioneer Valley (24-0) at the Tsongas Center this weekend (TBD).
'That's a play we've gone to all year with me in the corner,' said Madden, who finished with 14 points, including Hopedale's final two baskets. 'They covered me tight all game. They closed out pretty well and from there I had to make a play.'
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Hopedale's Patrick Madden (13) converts the winner with 3.6 seconds left in regulation at Taunton High.
MARK STOCKWELL FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE
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Hopedale coach Tony Cordani was sweating it out on the sideline.
'My wife has one of those Fitbit watches that monitors heart rate. I think mine would have exploded,' he said. 'Our kids just made plays.'
While the Blue Raiders (22-2) led almost the entire game, they could never create any separation. Their largest lead of the game, 9 points, came late in the third quarter, but was answered by a 12-5 Westport run fueled by Boudria, who finished with a game-high 27 points.
'I felt like I was playing chess,' Cordani said. '[Westport coach Scot Boudria] would throw something out and we'd try to figure out how to go against it . . . I feel like I'm wiped out now after going back and forth.'
Hopedale got an important contribution from senior Brayden Lewis, who scored 10 of his 14 points in the third quarter, mostly as the recipient of strong interior passing as he cut baseline.
'He made some great plays,' Cordani said. 'He's another senior who came up big for us. The seniors have a way of stepping up at this point in the season.'
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Junior JJ Douglas hit three 3-pointers for Hopedale, including one with 5:02 left that put the Blue Devils up 53-46 with 5:02 to play, but Boudria responded with 5 straight points for the Wildcats (17-7).
Cordani coached Hopedale to the state championship game five years ago, but the coronavirus arrived before the title game against Abington, which was canceled. Current assistant coach Dan Liberatore was a senior on that team and Manning was a seventh-grader following the Blue Raiders' tournament run.
'It's definitely crazy being in the stands and watching them go all the way and not even be able to play,' Manning said. 'Five years later it's great to have that opportunity and hopefully we'll make the most of it.'
Westport's Owen Boudria (4) blocks a shot by Hopedale's Brayden Lewis (32) during the first half.
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Hopedale's Patrick Madden (13) scores during the second half of the Division 5 semifinal.
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Westport's Kingston Cordeiro (24) scores during the first half of the Division 5 semifinal in Taunton.
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Brendan Kurie can be reached at
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