Sports
Foxborough Boys' Basketball Team Falls to KP
King Philip notches third win over Foxborough in Hockomock Winter Classic game.
Late in the first quarter of Thursday afternoon’s Hockomock League Crossover game, Foxborough junior guard Josh Patkin was able to jump in front of a King Philip inbound pass, stealing the ball.
The crowd cheered as he drove to the basket, and Foxborough Coach CJ Neely and the rest of the team yelled words of encouragement from the bench.
However, as Patkin cruised towards a layup, King Philip junior guard Jake Layman rushed behind him, blocking the otherwise easy shot and recovering the ball for his team.
Find out what's happening in Foxboroughwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The play defined the game; Foxborough left everything on the court but was unable to overcome King Philip’s dominant defense.
Thanks in large part to a blowout fourth quarter where they held Foxborough to just three points, KP was able to walk away with a 70-40 win in the Hockomock League Winter Classic. Both teams are headed to the state tournament.
Find out what's happening in Foxboroughwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
KP was able to build up a lead in the second half by exploiting their significant size advantage.
“We didn’t take advantage of our size in the first half, which allowed them to keep it relatively close,” said King Philip head coach Sean McInnis, “Owning the boards and cutting down on their second-chance shots was the key. We knew if we let them shoot it enough, they would get hot.”
Layman led the charge for KP, dominating rebounds both offensively and defensively and scoring 28 points in the process.
“Jake Layman was an issue for us early,” said Foxborough head coach CJ Neely.
Foxborough was able to keep the score relatively close in the first half until an unfortunate technical foul garnered while guarding Layman shifted momentum in favor of King Philip.
“They got the basket, then two foul shots, then a turnover,” said Neely. “(King Philip) played hard. They have a great coach and a great group of guys. They’ve beat us three times this year, and we certainly wish them the best of luck down the road.”
Still, Neely was proud of his players. “They’ve always done a great job with character. The talent isn’t always equal, but the effort is there anyways and that’s all I ask for.”
