BROCKTON, Mass. ---- Jahleel Moise (Brockton) recorded a triple-double in dominant defensive fashion, but the Massasoit men's basketball team fell short to Bunker Hill CC, 81-66, on Thursday night.
Moise, who entered the night as the NJCAA leader in blocked shots, swatted 10 to go along with 14 points and 17 rebounds. The sophomore shot 6-for-9 from the field and added three assists to his strong showing against the Bulldogs.
"Jahleel was the best player on the floor tonight," head coach Jim Stapleton said. "He is a game changer on defense and did some nice things for us on offense as well. We just need to find more scorers around him."
Trey Jones (Mattapan) topped the Warriors with 16 points and point guard Steven McCall (Brockton) added 10 points and four assists.
"We thought we could pressure (Bunker Hill) which we did and we knew we needed to box out. They just killed us on the glass," Stapleton said.
The game started off with a flash as Moise passed the opening tipoff to Jerome Penn Jr. (Boston) who raced in for a layup. Following another basket from Penn Jr. off a BH turnover, the Bulldogs were forced into a timeout just 28 seconds into the contest.
BH's Prentiss Douglas would score the team's first eight points, including a pair of 3s to even up the score 8-8 just over three and half minutes into regulation.
Later on a basket by Andrew Groh (Raynham) put Massasoit up 13-12, but that would be the last time the Warriors would lead in the contest.
BH embarked on an 11-2 run to break the game open and lead 23-15 with nine minutes to play in the opening half.
The visiting Bulldogs would take a 12-point cushion into the locker room at halftime, 34-22, and opened the second half on a 9-0 run. The Warriors would trail in double figures the rest of the way.
Douglas topped the Bulldogs with 24 points, featuring four 3-pointers. Frendens Deneus chipped in with 15 points in the win.
WHY MASSASOIT LOST: The Warriors fought hard against the Bulldogs, but Bunker Hill showcased a physical style and hurt Massasoit with multiple second chance points off offensive rebounds.
STAT OF THE DAY: Moise's triple-double was an impressive feat that showed up in Thursday's box score.
MOISE IS A MACHINE: On a career night for Moise, the Brockton native pulled down a season-best 17 rebounds in addition to his 10 blocks and 14 points. His swat total has now reached 47 for the season, as the sophomore is averaging a NJCAA-best 9.4 rejections per contest.
NEXT UP: Massasoit treks across the state to play at Holyoke CC on Saturday at 3 p.m.
