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It was quite a run for Brooks boys basketball as it earned three overtime wins to qualify for the New England Prep B Finals for the first time since 1997.  The team had a chance yesterday to win its first New England title since the Harold Starks era in the early 1980s.  But the magic ended against second-seeded Cheshire, one day after Brooks knocked off top-seeded Beaver Country Day.  The Brooks boys lost 66-56 to Cheshire at Clark University.  Ikenna Ndugba scored a team-high 17 points for Brooks while Ceasar Adim added eight points and Tamenang Choh scored seven.  “This is one of those weeks as a coach I’ll always remember,”  Brooks’ John McVeigh said.  “They played very, very good basketball,” McVeigh added about Cheshire. “It was just one of those times you tip your hat. They were very balanced. They shared the ball.”  Yes, Cheshire played balanced basketball. It had eight players finish with seven or more points.  Not only did Cheshire have the size advantage but also entered with more experience.  “We didn’t start any seniors this year; they started four post-grads,” McVeigh said.  Brooks finished with an impressive 21-6 record. “I’m so proud of this group,” McVeigh said. “I’m appreciative of our seniors. I’m proud of that great senior leadership.  “We ran out of gas a little,” he added.  McVeigh and his boys should make another deep run next year with the team primed to return all its starters.  “We learned some lessons from today and we can carry them with us into next year,” McVeigh said.

Brooks knocked off top seed Beaver Country Day 67-61 in OT. Brooks will be going for its first New England Prep title today (3:30 p.m., at Clark, vs. Cheshire) since the Harold Starks era in the early '80s.

Brooks won a 69-65 thriller in OT over Hoosac (N.Y.) in the New England Prep B quarterfinals. In a showdown of nationally-ranked sophomore point guards, Brooks' Ikenna Ndugba got the best of Unique McLean, holding him to 17 points, well off his gaudy 35 ppg average. Sophomore Ceasar Adim added career highs of 22 points and 11 rebounds.

Brooks closed out its regular season with a 59-52 win over Roxbury-Latin in boys basketball. Junior forward Charlie Crockett brought down 15 rebounds to go along with his already impressive 21-point outing. 

The Brooks boys basketball team placed four players in double figures and clamped down on defense in the second half to take a huge 61-49 victory at St. Mark's, marking the first time in at least 16 years the Green and White hsve won there. Ceasar Adim and Charlie Crockett both scored 14 points and pulled down 10 and 12 rebounds respectively and Francisco Zeno came off the bench to score a career-high 12 points.

Lavar Harewood had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Charlie Crockett was right behind with 15 points and eight rebounds as Brooks (17-5) defeated Phillips Academy 58-50. Brooks took control in the first half, taking a 37-22 lead.

Freshman guard Kyle Neyman of North Andover drilled a couple 3-pointers to help Brooks roll to an easy 68-35 win over Thayer.

With the ISL title likely on the line, Rivers, with 6-6 freshman sensation Jermaine Samuels (16 points), edged Brooks 49-48. The difference was free throws as Brooks was just 13 of 27 while Rivers was 16 of 17. Ikenna Ndugba had 13 points for Brooks.

With the ISL title likely on the line, Rivers, with 6-6 freshman sensation Jermaine Samuels (16 points), edged Brooks 49-48. The difference was free throws as Brooks was just 13 of 27 while Rivers was 16 of 17. Ikenna Ndugba had 13 points for Brooks.

Ikenna Ndugba had a craeer-high 34 points and added 8 rebounds and 6 assists as Brooks toppled defending Class A champion Phillips Exeter 63-47.