Golden Eagles capture 5th hoops title in 7 years

KEENE — Gilford might have to rename itself Title Town, after the No. 4 Golden Eagles pulled off a come-from-behind 57-55 upset win, in overtime, over No. 2 Mascoma Valley Regional High School to win the Division III boys' basketball championship on Saturday.

The win makes five state titles in seven years, putting the Gilford High School team in the dynasty conversation.

“I think this certainly ranks as one of the greatest games I’ve ever been a part of,” said Rick Acquilano, head coach and athletic director.

The Golden Eagles battled back from being down 22 points to narrowly beat the Royals, led by 10th grader Owen Hawkins, who scored 20 of his 25 points after the first half. Hawkins had four rebounds, three blocks, an assist, and a steal to fill out the scoresheet on a well-rounded performance in the win.

“I said at halftime that we’ve got to let Owen eat,” Acquilano said. “We set high ball screens for him, and he caught fire.”

A pair of 12th graders were also vital in the win. Henry Sleeper put up 11 points, eight boards, three blocks, one assist and one steal, while Mark Uicker got into double digits, with all 11 points coming in the fourth quarter and overtime, after struggling to find his shot early.

“Our big three all year has been Mark Uicker, Owen Hawkins and Henry Sleeper, and they really were the big three again,” Acquilano said.

Defense was the name of the game for the Golden Eagles in the second half, forcing 20 turnovers in 20 minutes.

Acquilano said this win speaks to the program. He told a story about how seven years ago, he told his squad they needed to toughen up, and added pushups and situps to their workout regiments. Seven years later, his players still do that, and he only said it once.

“We have really good practice habits, and it shows up in our games,” Acquilano said.

It came down to grit and determination, with a little bit of resilience and hope, along with plenty of skill and top tier coaching. The Golden Eagles struggled in the opening half, finding themselves down 30-12, and knowing drastic changes were needed.

“At halftime, I said I had been coaching a long time, and this deficit was doable,” Acquilano said. “I said, 'You are going to get every ounce of me, and I need every ounce of you.'"

The third quarter didn’t start much better, down by 22 points at one point, but just before the end of the frame, the Golden Eagles forced a turnover, and Hawkins drained a 3-point play shot at the buzzer, to make it a 15-point game.

It was still a big lead to overcome, but there was still hope, and momentum was in their favor after the big shot from downtown. The fourth quarter was all Golden Eagles, who went 7 for 15 shooting, including a pair of threes. They also got to the line, and were efficient, going 7 for 8. In the previous three quarters, the Golden Eagles hadn’t broken the 30% shooting mark, and only went 2 for 10 from downtown.

“Mascoma was playing on their heels a bit with the big lead, and we were playing as aggressively as we could,” Acquilano said.

Gilford tied the game and forced an overtime, but the team from Canaan scored the first bucket in the extra time, and Gilford was trailing. Once again, the team was playing catch up, but Acquilano had told them several times already that season to “keep playing until someone tells you to stop.”

“And nobody ever told us to stop playing.”

Gilford grinded away and was up by two with the clock winding down. The Royals had a chance at a win, but the Golden Eagles forced a missed 3-point attempt, and secured the comeback win.

“You don’t win a lot of games trailing by 22 points in the third. And it being on that stage in the state championship makes it the rarest of birds,” Acquilano said.

There were several times in overtime where Gilford missed a shot, and it seemed the game might be out of reach. However, free throws became a major aspect, as Mascoma had the ball up by two, and Gilford was forced to foul. They missed their free throws, and in the overtime, Hawkins drained two to give them the lead, with nine seconds to go. That was a gamechanger, and ultimately, the game winner.

Acquilano was visibly pumped up when the last second shot by Mascoma bounced off the rim, leaping in the air with outstretched arms as coaches and players hugged.

“There was a lot of raw emotion there,” Acquilano said. “It was a crazy environment. People in attendance were like, ‘What just happened?’ It was a game for the ages.”

Acquilano said on Monday he was still feeling the excitement.

“We had fire trucks and the police escorting us back, and the kids were singing on the bus,” Acquilano said of the long ride home from Keene. “It was so joyous. I can tell you, literally 44 hours later, my phone and email continue to blow up.”

It was a grueling and successful season all around, as the team went 15-3 in the regular season, and ended with a 19-3 overall record and four playoff wins. They also won the Lakes Region Holiday Basketball Tournament, with three more wins not counted in their official record.

“It’s a long haul,” Acquilano said. “We had some adversity, nothing too dramatic, but we had to battle in some close games. I think that helped forge us.”

Gilford was no stranger to state championships this year, as the football team won the honor in November. The girls’ basketball team was also the runner up this year, going all the way to the finals before losing to undefeated Fall Mountain last weekend.

“I’m really proud of what the girls accomplished right by our side, and being the runner up is nothing to hang your head about,” Acquilano said. “They will be making noise in the next several years.”

He doesn’t have a crystal ball, but when looking ahead at the spring, Acquilano sees success brewing.

“These are exciting times for Gilford athletics.”