🏀Elite 8🏀
West Bridgewater will play Clinton at HOME in the Elite 8 Friday night at 5:30 p.m.!
The support from the WB fans has been HUGE in the tournament, and we need you one more time in our own gym!
#WeBelieve
Wildcats advance to Elite 8!
WB boys beat Monument Mountain, 69-62. Jag Garces (23 points) and JJ Maclean (22) led the scoring, and Nick Navin chipped in with 13.
Round of 8 date/time TBD.
@Murray_Jack_@BConn63@BoostersWb@BrocktonSports@GlobeSchools @WBNewsFacts
WEST BRIDGEWATER BOYS BASKETBALL: MIAA
West Bridgewater 56 Leicester 52
February 28, 2026. West Bridgewater defeated Leicester 56-52 in Division 4 of the MIAA Massachusetts State High School Boys Basketball Tournament round of 32. West Bridgewater had an outstanding performance from senior captain Jag Garces who led all scorers with 27 points including 10 in the final quarter. J.J. MacLean also scored in double figures with 13 points. Lamar Valentina Jr. chipped in with 9 points and 7 rebounds. Ben Stapleton led West Bridgewater in assists with 12 in the game. West Bridgewater, down by as many as 10 points in the final quarter, came from behind and finished the game on a 12-0 run that helped to captivate the win for Head Coach Ryan Otto and the West Bridgewater Wildcats team.
Leicester was led by Jarrid Burrell 20 points and Brody Grant 14 points. Leicester finishes the season 16-6.
In a tight game in the first quarter saw Leicester lead 14-13 at the end of the quarter. West Bridgewater scoring came from Jag Garces 5 points, Lamar Valentina Jr. 2 points, J.J. MacLean 3 points, Nick Navin 3 points. West Bridgewater outscored Leicester 19-7 in the second quarter to take a 32-21 lead at halftime. Jag Garces 8 points and J.J. MacLean 5 points paced the Wildcats in the quarter. Leicester opened the third quarter on a 9-0 run to close West Bridgewater’s lead to 32-30. Leicester later went ahead 35-34 and finished the quarter leading West Bridgewater 41-38.
Leicester continued to stay hot as they opened the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run to go up by 10 points 48-38. However, West Bridgewater clawed back. With Leicester up 50-41, Jag Garces hit a 3-pointer to cut the score to 50-44 with 3:50 left in the game. Leicester then scored to make the score 52-44 which would be the last time Leicester would score a point in the game. West Bridgewater’s Armani Lloret scored to make the score 52-46. J.J. MacLean would score next on a 3-pointer with 1:35 left for a 52-49 score. Then with .40 seconds left in the game Jag Garces connected on a 3-pointer to tie the game 52-52. On the next series Jag Garces stole the ball and raced down the court to score to put the Wildcats up 54-52 with 24 seconds left and then made a foul shot to make it a 3-point game 55-52. Jag Garces later made another free throw with 4 seconds left to cap the win for West Bridgewater 56-52. West Bridgewater’s offense outscored Leicester 12-0 in the final moments and held Leicester with an intense defense as key factors in the thrilling come from behind win.
West Bridgewater Player of the Game: Jag Garces
Jag Garces led the team in scoring with 27 points and in steals with 4. Jag made 3 (3-pointers) and scored the Wildcats final 7 points in the game including tying the game and putting West Bridgewater ahead in the final quarter to help win the game.
Special Recognition to the West Bridgewater cheer team and a full house of fans in the stands for outstanding support all game long.
West Bridgewater (14-7) have won 6 in a row and 9 of their last 10 games under Head Coach Ryan Otto. West Bridgewater, with its highest ranking at number 4 in many years, now awaits their next opponent either Upper Cape Cod or Monument Mountain with a date and time to be determined in the round of 16.
West Bridgewater Game Stat Contributors: 02/28/2026
Jag Garces: 27 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals
Lamar Valentina Jr: 9 points, 7 rebounds, 1 block
J.J. MacLean: 13 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 1 assist, 1 steal
Ben Stapleton: 4 rebounds, 12 assists, 2 steals
Armani Lloret: 4 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals
Nick Navin: 3 points, 2 rebounds, 1 block
Colin O’Neil: 2 rebounds
@BoostersWb@BoostersWb@CoachOttoWB@BrocktonSports@sports_ledger@ChrisMcDaniel88@GlobeSchools@BrendanKurie@TylerBMcManus15@BConn63@jag_garces11@BenStapleton27