Boys Basketball Falls to Braintree on Senior Night
February 10, 2025
• Needham’s five-game win streak was snapped by the Wamps.
On a night honoring the eight seniors on the Needham boys basketball team, the Rockets fell to Braintree 61-44 on Friday, Feb. 7.
Despite losing by just three points to the Wamps earlier this season, Needham struggled to keep this one close, trailing by around 15 points for most of the second half. Braintree, ranked 15th in the MIAA Division 1 Power Rankings, was led by Ethan Elie, who scored a team-high 13 points.
Before tip-off, Needham held a ceremony celebrating the seniors on the team, along with the seniors on the cheer and dance squads. Each athlete was given flowers and took photos with their families on the court in front of the crowd. After the Senior Night festivities concluded, five of the eight seniors started the game for the Rockets, with the last three coming in on the first substitution.
Needham jumped out to a 5-0 lead early in the first quarter, but Braintree scored two quick baskets to pull back within one. After a back-and-forth quarter, Needham led 13-12. Max Goodrow was key for the Rockets’ offense, scoring seven of the 13 points. The second quarter proved to be disastrous for Needham. Trailing by one, Braintree went on an 8-2 run in the first three minutes to take a three-point lead. Jeremy Gould tied the game at 20 with a three-pointer that slowed the Wamps’ run. But, that’s where the scoring would end for Needham, as they went scoreless in the final 4:56 of the half. Braintree’s defense was stout, forcing seven Needham turnovers in the quarter and outscoring the Rockets 17-7 to take a 29-20 into halftime.
Turnovers continued to kill the Rockets’ momentum in the second half. On their first possession of the third quarter, Needham gave the ball away, leading to an Owen Kelly basket that extended the Braintree lead to 11. Turnovers were a huge factor in this game, as Needham committed 17 turnovers but only forced seven. Another scoring drought, lasting almost three minutes, allowed the Wamps to keep firm control of the game. Braintree outscored Needham again this quarter, 17-11 to push the score to 46-31. Down 15 heading into the fourth quarter, Needham needed a run to start a comeback attempt. But, Braintree continued to hit shots and got to the free throw line often. The Wamps shot 13-20 on their free throw attempts, while the Rockets shot 5-11. With 3:51 remaining and the game out of reach, Needham head coach Paul Liner put the all-senior lineup back on the floor to close out the game.
Braintree’s defense suffocated the Rockets’ offense, forcing multiple scoring droughts of over two minutes, and 17 turnovers in the game. Needham also shot just 3-16 (18.75%) from three-point range, making it difficult to overcome the nine-point lead the Wamps took in the second quarter. On the positive side, Goodrow had a great performance for the Rockets, finishing with 16 points, six rebounds and four steals.
The Rockets, who are now 8-8 on the season, will be on the road for their next two games, before returning to the A-Gym to face BC High on Feb. 18 at 5 p.m. That game will air live on The Needham Channel’s Community and HD Channels and can be streamed on needhamchannel.org or our TNC Roku App.
