Kayvaun Mulready and Worcester Academy Pull Away in Springfield, a Major Test Against Brewster Academy at the TD Garden Awaits
A report from Springfield, MA and a look ahead to a big-time game between WA and Brewster Academy at the TD Garden next week
Less than a week after committing to Providence, Kayvaun Mulready and his Worcester Academy teammates took to the floor at the MassMutual Center in Springfield as part of a deep Hoophall Prep Showcase field.
Friday night featured a variety of games of note, including Southern California Academy’s prep team taking on Hargrave Academy (PC signee Donovan Santoro did not play) and a terrific game between Putnam Science Academy and a Vermont Academy club featuring the promising young guard Joson Sanon.
Sanon, a 6’5 guard from Fall River, MA who took in PC’s win over Marquette, had 25 points in a 75-74 loss. He is viewed as a potentially elite prospect in the class of 2025.
Regardless of the other matchups, I made the trek down the Mass Pike to see Mulready and a Worcester team that came into Friday with an 11-1 record following an 80-50 win over Phillips Andover earlier in the week.
Worcester took on a Loomis Chafee squad that was, ultimately, overmatched by an opponent featuring the likes of Mulready and high major 2023 players in Tre Norman (a guard headed to Marquette) and five star wing TJ Power, who is committed to Duke.
Mulready kicked the scoring off with a slam, yet Loomis Chafee had an early 10-5 lead before a 13-3 Worcester run turned the tide. That spurt was highlighted by a pair of pick-6 dunks by the future Friar.
Loomis Chafee was within shouting distance as the game approached halftime, trailing 38-27 with just over a minute to play. Over the final 60 seconds, however, Worcester went on a 9-0 run to take a commanding 47-27 advantage heading into the break.
Mulready swished a pair of free throws (his only free throw attempts of the first half) with a minute left, then scored on a layup on the ensuing possession, followed by a steal and another lay-in five seconds later.
Just that quickly, it was 44-27, and WA closed the first half with a free throw and a pretty buzzer-beating fadeaway by Power.