Press Release: Both Holderness School Basketball Teams Return to New England Championships

3/2/2010
For the second year in a row, both Holderness School basketball teams have qualified for the New England Prep School Athletic Conference Class C championship tournament.

"We have an interesting sort of symmetry going," said Holderness Director of Athletic (and girls’ basketball coach) Lance Galvin. "Last year both squads reached the NEPSAC finals and then lost. This year both are in the tournament as number-four seeds. We'd love to see both reach the finals again, and this time be the teams celebrating at the buzzer."

Each teams as well is built around a trio of great players. The boys went 14-8 against a tough schedule thanks in no small part, says coach Tony Mure, to "Al Francis, who is the heart and soul of our team, averaging 22 points, 8 rebounds, and one block per game."

The New York City native, a senior who plays everywhere but point guard, has had particularly big games against Lakes Region rivals: 27 points versus Brewster Academy, 33 versus the Tilton School, and 35 versus Proctor Academy.

Francis gets plenty of help, though. "Imoh Silas is our defensive presence in the middle," says Mure. The junior from Lagos, Nigeria, is blocking four shots a game while collecting 9.5 rebounds and chipping in with 14 points.

Another junior, Gabrielius Maldunas (Panevezys, Lithuania) is as versatile a player as Francis. He averages 15 points per game with 10 rebounds and a block.

Tony Mure adds that another New York City native, senior point guard Manny Smith, is also invaluable. "He's consistent, he runs the show on offense, and he’s a great on-the-ball defender."

"This whole team is a very intense bunch of athletes," says Mure. "They never give up."

Lance Galvin's girls' team went 11-7. They get a lot of outside scoring—18 ppg—from junior shooting guard Radvile Autukaite (Vilnius, Lithuania), and good play in the paint from senior Gina O’Girri. The Springfield, MA, native averages 8 rebounds and 7 points per game.

Senior Marissa Pendgergast (Medfield, MA) dominates all over the court: 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game.

"This is one of the best teams I've ever coached in terms of character," adds Galvin. "You can see how unselfish they are in how smoothly they work together."

The boys' team is making their third straight post-season appearance. They reached the NEPSAC semi-finals in 2008. They play fifth-seeded Milton Academy at Holderness on Wednesday, March 3, at 4:30 PM.

The girls' team will play fifth-seeded Kimball Union Academy at Holderness at 3:00 that same day. Holderness and KUA split two games in regular season play.