By NoontimeSports.com 

The Boston Celtics concluded the first half of their 66-game schedule on Wednesday evening against the Oklahoma City Thunder, who defeated the Green and White, 119-104.

The Celtics will now enjoy a few days off due to the NBA All-Star game on Sunday before returning to the hardwood next week when they travel to Cleveland. However, Boston certainly needs something or someone to spark their offense and defense, who’s won 15 of 32 contests thus far. Yet, what should the Celtics do? Should they rely on team president Danny Ainge to find their savior or keep things intact?

What are your thoughts on the Celtics? Would adding a new piece to the puzzle help Doc Rivers‘ crew reach the NBA Finals?

Share your thoughts below or post them on Facebook or Twitter.

Kevin Durant proved to be too much for the Boston Celtics on Wednesday! (Photo Credit: SB Nation)

By NoontimeSports.com 

Happy Thursday to everyone, and welcome into yet another stupendous edition of the Daily Noontime! Here are some headlines and news from the Boston/New England sports world, enjoy.

* Oklahoma City proved to be too much for the Boston Celtics, as the Thunder prevailed, 119-104. Boston managed to outscore Oklahoma City in the third frame, but struggled to contain Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, who combined for 59 points, 14 rebounds, 12 assists, and five steals. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce paced the Celtics with 23 points each. Boston will enjoy a few days off until they return to the court next week, as they travel to Cleveland for 7:00pm tip on Feb. 28.

* The Boston Bruins regrouped on Wednesday, and earned an important 4-2 victory against the St. Louis Blues. Brad Marchand netted two of the teams goals, while Tim Thomas deflected 30 shots between the pipes. The Black and Gold will continue their six-game swing on Friday, Feb. 24, when they travel to Buffalo for a 7:30pm face-off.

* The Boston Red Sox will conduct their first positional players workout on Thursday, which according to some sources is anticlimactic, especially since a majority of them showed up earlier this week. However, reports have confirmed that Roy Oswalt is expected to make an announcement on Thursday about his plans for the upcoming season. It’s uncertain if he’ll elect to join the Sox for the upcoming year or what he’ll do, but again, this long awaited free agent saga should come to an end soon.

By Matt Noonan 

BABSON PARK, MA – With 6.4 seconds remaining in the second half, as well as a two-point advantage, Babson College junior Alex Rudolph marched to the free throw line, and sank two of the biggest shots in his collegiate career, which helped the Beavers prevail against Wheaton College in the NEWMAC quarterfinals, 62-58.

“I’m not going to lie to you and say there wasn’t pressure, but you fight your whole life, your whole career, you work to get to moments like that and I’m just glad I hit them,” said Rudolph, who turned in 19 points, and six rebounds.

Babson College head coach Stephen Brennan, who’s patrolled the Beavers sideline for the past 17 years, was quite shocked that this particular contest was won by Rudolph’s two free throws, especially since his squad struggled from the charity stripe, and connected on 11-of-24 attempts.

“We didn’t really talk much about the free throws, but [Alex] has been playing with great confidence. He was player of the week [in] the NEWMAC last week, and he’s just stepped up his competitive level to a new one,” said Brennan.

Brennan continued by saying, “It was great that he was willing to step up and make those because we had some other guys who didn’t.”

Rudolph jumpstarted Babson’s offense with a jump shot before sophomore Matt Palazini sank a three-pointer, and freshman David Mack recorded a layup to give the Beavers a comfortable, 8-0 advantage.

Wheaton junior Cliften Desravines, (14 points, nine rebounds, four blocks) eventually got the Lyons on the board with two made free throws at 13:16, which ended a scoring drought of seven consecutive missed shots. Desravines then added a layup before senior Brendan Degnan, (13 points) sank two back-to-back free throws, which cut the deficit to 12-6.

“I just thought that at least at that point, we could have very easily been down 13 or 14 or 15 [points], so our defense really helped us stay close, and I thought Cliff gave us a big lift off the bench to get us some baskets, to get us going a little bit midway in the first half,” said Wheaton head coach Brian Walmsley.

“I thought Desravines played much better than he’s ever played against us,” said Brennan. “He did a good job spinning and finishing over our big guys.”

The Lyons then added a few more points from the free throw line before freshman John Wickey and Randolph sank back-to-back trifectas late in the first frame, which gave Babson a 30-24 lead at intermission.

“We just came out with a lot of intensity [in the first half],” said Rudolph. “Coach was preaching ‘energy’ before the game, and we just tried to come out, play as hard as we could on defense.”

Wickey and junior Marcus McDermott ballooned Babson’s lead to 34-26 before Wheaton’s defense ramped up its pressure and helped the offense come within three-points of the Beavers, as freshman Eddie Capstick connected from beyond the arc at 13:30, which made the score, 41-38.

Babson’s offense then exploded with a triple and two layups from sophomore Connor Boyen before Wheaton senior Anthony Weeks, (12 points) responded with two critical free throws that started a rally for the Lyons.

Degnan added a pair at the free throw line before Desravines and sophomore Will Bayliss made a few layups, which was followed by an enormous three-pointer from Weeks, as well as few free throws, too.

“We know Babson is a tremendous defensive team, and it was going to be a struggle to score against them, but our guys kept fighting and fighting,” said Walmsley, who was proud of his team’s second half play.

McDermott halted the Lyons comeback with a three-pointer, which was followed up with two made free throws by Mack to make it 60-53.

Babson’s lead was soon erased by a trifecta and two free throws from Degnan, which brought Wheaton within two-points. Yet, Weeks fouled Rudolph on the ensuing possession to stop the clock, but that didn’t stop Rudolph from making two free throws that secured the win for the Green and White.

“It got a little close for my liking, but it was a good team effort, [and] we had a lot of guys step up off the bench,” said Brennan.

The Beavers will look to keep their March Madness hopes alive when they travel to Cambridge on Saturday to face the top-ranked MIT Engineers at 1:00pm.

“MIT’s obviously a great team, but we thought we really had them in our last game at MIT, and we’re excited to get another shot at them,” said Rudolph

Bobby Valentine has spiced things up in Florida! (Photo Credit: Boston Herald)

By Matt Noonan 

It’s been a while since a dark, stormy cloud drifted over the city of Boston.

For the past few weeks, Bostonians and New Englanders have appeared aggravated and disgusted with their four major professional sports teams because they’ve either struggled or disengaged.

Yet, let’s take a step back and realize that these particular days will pass because Boston is still technically the “City of Champions,” especially since all four major sports teams have won at least one championship in the past 11-years, right?

So, without further ado, let’s take a stroll downtown and check in with the Bruins, Celtics and Red Sox, who’re currently stealing the spotlight from the New England Patriots, who ended their season a few weeks ago in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Thoughts on the Sox: It’s way too early to deem the upcoming Boston Red Sox season a failure, especially since it’s only been two days of pitchers and catchers.

Manager Bobby Valentine has done a rather decent job with the club over the past few days, and appears eager to help everyone improve, especially Daisuke Matsuzaka, who according to the Boston Globe, played catch with his skipper on Monday. However, the highly touted pitcher isn’t expected to return the Fenway Park bump until midseason, as he’s currently recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Carl Crawford seems focused and determined to improve his performance from last season, despite ending the year with 129 hits, 29 doubles, seven triples, 56 RBIs and 18 stolen bases. Also, he struck out 104 times at the plate, too. Yet, similar to Matsuzaka, Valentine doesn’t want to push his leftfielder back into the lineup because he’s currently recovering from surgery on his left wrist.

Finally, a majority of the Sox position players have already arrived in Fort Myers, which is a hopeful sign that they’ve moved on from their chicken and beer rituals from last season. Boston is expected to conduct their first full team workouts on Thursday, and I’m sure after it concludes, we’ll have plenty to discuss around the water cooler in regards to David Ortiz to Cody Ross to Jason Varitek.

The aging Boston Celtics: Literally two weeks ago, I was sitting in the TD Garden watching the Green and White face a Memphis Grizzlies squad that probably should have won this particular clash, especially because they’re younger, quicker, stronger and faster. Although, Kevin Garnett denied the Grizzlies of a much needed win by turning in 22 points and nine rebounds, which helped Boston escape with a 98-80 victory.

Although, ever since that particular day, Boston has endued a 2-6 slump, which includes two losses to a struggling Detroit Pistons team that’ll most likely miss the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Can Danny Ainge salvage the Boston Celtics season? (Photo Credit: Flickr)

The Celtics are a complete mess, and need something or someone to spark their offense and defense, but what exactly should they do?

Should team president Danny Ainge create a blockbuster move or keep the roster intact?

What would Red Auerbach do? OK, that maybe the wrong thing to ask, but really, what would the former coach do in this particular situation?

It’s hard to determine what will happen over the next few weeks, but it’s pretty certain that a change is needed, especially if Boston plans to contend for some hardware in June.

The Bruins need to score goals: Similar to the Celtics, the Bruins are struggling.

They’ve lost two of their last three contests, and registered a goose egg (zero) on the scoreboard for the sixth time this season this past Sunday when the Minnesota Wild blanked them, 2-0 on national television.

However, Boston can salvage their current six-game road trip with wins in St. Louis, Buffalo and Ottawa, which might turn some frowns upside down.

Various reports on Tuesday and Wednesday confirmed that Nathan Horton is expected to remain sidelined, while Rich Peverley continues to be hampered by a knee injury. Also, Shawn Thornton has been battling an illness, which could prevent him from playing against the Blues on Wednesday.

Although, despite the various injuries, as well as bumps and bruises I think, Patrice Bergeron summed it up perfectly when he told the media that his teammates aren’t expecting the front office to locate a “savior” to assist the Bruins, who’re currently on par to snag the second seed in the Eastern Conference.

I don’t think a drastic change is necessary for this particular squad. What Boston needs to do is focus on scoring the first goal, and capitalizing on it. They also need Tim Thomas to keep his mind on hockey, not politics or social media.

The Bruins will be fine, but I’m not ruling out a potential trade that could help Boston in May and June.

Sad news was confirmed on Tuesday evening, as Tom Brady's mentor Tom Martinez died on his 66th birthday. (Photo Credit: Gridironfans.com)

By NoontimeSports.com 

Happy “Hump Day” everyone, and welcome into yet another tremendous edition of the Daily Noontime. Here are some headlines and news swirling throughout the city of Boston, as well as New England.

* On Tuesday evening, sources confirmed that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady‘s mentor Tom Martinez passed away on his 66th birthday. The two formed a bond when Martinez began assisting Brady with his mechanics in high school before the quarterback went onto the University of Michigan and New England. Brady kept in contact with his mentor over the past few years, and was quoted for saying, “I’m forever indebted to him.”

* Day Two of the Boston Red Sox spring training is set to begin on Wednesday morning, and according to sources, designated hitter David Ortiz has arrived in Fort Myers, and expected to take part in a team workouts on Thursday, which is when other positional players are expected to report, too.

* The Boston Bruins will return to the ice on Wednesday evening when they skate against the St. Louis Blues. The Black and Gold have lost two of their last three contests, and were recently blanked by the Minnesota Wild this past weekend for the sixth time this season.

* Patrice Bergeron told the media on Tuesday that he and his teammates aren’t expecting GM Peter Chiarelli to pull the trigger and acquire a necessary piece for the Bruins offense or defense before the NHL trade deadline. Boston has won four of their last 10 contests, and appears confident with the current squad in the locker room.

By Matt Noonan 

CHESTNUT HILL, MA – Trailing Wheelock College by five points entering the second frame, Regis College used an offensive surge to lift them past the Wildcats, 59-49.

“We have a young group, and they’ve been losing close games all year, and the biggest thing was they didn’t hang their head and we actually learned from it,” said Regis head coach Nathan Hager, who was all smiles after his team’s first opening round NECC tournament victory on Tuesday.

The Pride were led by sophomores Ahmad Charles, (21 points) and Robert Edwards, (10 points, seven rebounds), who combined for 20 second half points, while freshman Ethan Peana ended the game with a team-high 10 rebounds.

“[It’s a] big win for our team,” said Edwards. “We’ve had some up and downs this year, [so] it’s good to come out, play hard in the playoffs, [and] get a win.”

Regis jumped out to a quick, 5-0 lead before Wheelock responded with a layup from senior Eric Rice, and a trifecta by senior Max Kaim, (17 points) before the Wildcats offense stalled, and allowed the Pride to grow their lead to 17-7 at 10:11.

Senior Elliot Hernandez rejuvenated Wheelock’s veteran squad with a layup a few minutes later, which set up a 21-6 run to end the half with a 28-23 advantage.

Entering the second half, Charles jumpstarted Regis’ offense with a pair from the free throw line before the Pride tallied 13 points in five minutes, which helped them relinquish the lead from Wheelock.

Edward extended his team’s lead with a layup before senior Jonathon Josselin knocked down two shots from the free throw line.

“In the second half, we didn’t make turnovers because we had 11 in the first half, [but] in the second half we had four, so we took care of the ball, we limited their second chance points [by] boxing out on rebounds,” said Charles.

Charles also made sure his team took preserved their lead, as he recorded a layup and then a three-pointer in front of his team’s bench with 5:49 remaining to give Regis a 49-39 advantage.

“Ahmad is a very confident guy, and is an unspoken leader on our team. He’s a guy who doesn’t say much, and his actions do the talking,” said Hager. “Him hitting a three, that’s great.”

Wheelock then began a small comeback when Kaim made a couple of free throws to bring the Wildcats within six points at 1:42, but their late rally was denied when Charles, Josselin and sophomore Ryan Chambers sank six combined free throws to help the Pride earn the win, and punch their ticket to the semi-finals in Worcester against Elms College on Friday evening.

“We just got to go out and practice the next couple days, get better, and prepare for Elms,” said Charles.

Daniel Bard is expected to experience a LONG day on Tuesday! (Photo Credit: Boston Herald)

By NoontimeSports.com 

It’s good to be back from a LONG weekend, everyone, and hopefully you enjoyed it, too! Here are some headlines and news from the city of Boston and New England to kick-start your day.

* The Boston Red Sox will take part in their first official workout on Tuesday, which is expected to be a long day for the pitchers and catchers, as well as manager Bobby Valentine. According to sources, Daniel Bard is expected to practice with the starting pitches, since he’ll be one this season. Also, reporters have confirmed that Dustin Pedroia has been spotted at JetBlue Park, too.

* Dallas handed the Boston Celtics their 16th loss of the season on Sunday evening, as the Mavericks defeated the Green and White, 89-73. Boston has now lost four consecutive contests, and will try to turn things around on Wednesday when they travel to Oklahoma to face the Thunder, who’re curently sporting a 25-7 record. Also, Rajon Rondo will serve his final two-game suspension on Wednesday after being ejected on Sunday evening against the Detroit Pistons.

* The Boston Bruins will look to snap their two-game skid on Wednesday evening when they face-off against the St. Louis Blues in Missouri. Against Winnipeg and Minnesota, Boston has been outscored by their opponents, 6-2.

Brandyn Curry tallied 18 points on Saturday to help Harvard defeat Yale. (Photo Credit: Harvard Athletics)

By Brian Willwerth 

It’s time now for our weekly look at the men’s basketball programs at Harvard, Boston University and Northeastern.

Most of our attention continues to be focused on Harvard, and with good reason. After consecutive back-to-back double-digit victories over Brown and Yale, the Crimson now sit at 9-1 in the Ivy League, and 23-3 overall. Their next two contests are at home – against Princeton and Penn. If Harvard wins both of those games – and they’ve won 27 in a row at Lavietes Pavilion – they’ll clinch at least a share of the Ivy League title. The Crimson’s 23 wins tie a school record. The 27-game home winning streak is the second-longest active streak in the country, trailing only Kentucky’s run of 50 in a row at Rupp Arena. Harvard has never been to the NCAA tournament. The school is already basking in the glory of Jeremy Lin’s newfound success in the NBA, but  will be there an even big party in Cambridge on Saturday night? Stay tune.

In order for there to be a celebration on Commonwealth Avenue or Huntington Avenue, Boston University and Northeastern need to run the table the rest of the way, including winning their respective conference tournaments. The Terriers and Huskies lost their BracketBuster games over the weekend to Loyola and Stony Brook, respectively. BU and NU both have two regular-season games remaining. BU is in the better position in its conference, holding down the #3 seed in the America East. Still, the Terriers will have to get past Stony Brook, Vermont, or both to repeat as conference tournament champions. The Huskies’ challenge is much more daunting; the CAA could very easily be a multiple-berth conference when Selection Sunday rolls around.

Well, the regular season has officially ended, which means it’s tournament time! Here are some of the first or second round matches that will occur over the next few days across Massachusetts.

NEWMAC: 

* Men’s Basketball – Wheaton College at Babson College (Feb. 22, 7:00pm)

* Women’s Basketball – Springfield College at Wellesley College (Feb. 22, 7:00pm)

* Women’s Basketball – WPI at Clark University (Feb. 22, 7:00pm)

MASCAC:

* Men’s Basketball – MCLA at Worcester State (Feb. 21, 7:00pm)

* Men’s Basketball – Fitchburg State at Westfield State (Feb. 21, 7:30pm)

* Women’s Basketball – Worcester State at Westfield State (Feb. 21, 5:30pm)

* Women’s Basketball – Fitchburg State at MCLA (Feb. 21, 7:00pm)

NECC: 

* Men’s Basketball – Regis College at Wheelock College (Feb. 21, 7:00pm)

* Men’s Basketball – Newbury College at Daniel Webster (Feb. 21, 8:00pm)

* Women’s Basketball – Becker College at Daniel Webster (Feb. 21, 6:00pm)

* Women’s Basketball – Mitchell College at Newbury College (Feb. 21, 7:00pm)

* Women’s Basketball – Bay Path at Elms College (Feb. 21, 7:00pm)

Other Massachusetts Games: 

* Men’s Basketball – Gordon at Wentworth, CCC (Feb. 21, 7:00pm)

* Men’s Basketball – Curry College at Nichols College, CCC (Feb. 21, 7:00pm)

* Men’s Basketball – Emmanuel College at Lasell, GNAC (Feb. 21, 7:00pm)

* Men’s Basketball – Mount Ida at St. Joe’s (Maine), GNAC (Feb. 21, 7:30pm) 

* Men’s Basketball – UMass Dartmouth at Keene State, LEC (Feb. 21, 7:30pm)

* Men’s Basketball – Roger Williams at Endicott College, CCC (Feb. 21, 8:00pm)

* Women’s Basketball – UMass Dartmouth at Western Conn., LEC (Feb. 21, 7:00pm)

 * Women’s Basketball – Nichols at University of New England, CCC (Feb. 21, 7:00pm)

* Women’s Basketball -  Roger Williams at Endicott College, CCC (Feb. 21, 6:00pm)

* Women’s Basketball – Curry College at Salve Regina, CCC (Feb. 21, 6:00pm)

* Women’s Basketball – UMass Boston at Keene College, LEC (Feb. 21, 5:30pm)

CAMBRIDGE, MA – Following the conclusion of Saturday’s contests against Yale University, Harvard’s men’s basketball head coach Tommy Amaker told reporters that he was rather pleased with his team’s effort against the Bulldogs, as well as the Brown University Bears on Friday.

“I thought we came this whole weekend with a resolved [effort] to become a better defensive team, and we certainly achieved that in both victories,” said Amaker. “I was very, very proud of our kids for the effort they were able to bring and the start of both games.

Amaker was also content with the play of junior Brandyn Curry, (18 points) who netted a majority Harvard’s second half points, which helped the Crimson prevail against a gritty Bulldogs squad, 66-51.

“He’s been our playmaker, and he made plays [on Saturday],” said Amaker. “It was nice to see him find a rhythem, and be offensively aggressive and making plays.”

“I just had openings, and I just went for it,” said Curry. “They had a couple of guards that were hurt, so we just had to ware them down, so I was just attacking all night.”

Yale jumped out to a quick three-point lead thanks to senior Greg Mangano, (22 points, 11 rebounds) before Harvard sophomore Lauren Rivard responded with a trifecta 40-seconds later, which jumpstarted the Crimson offense that finished the first frame with 20 points in the paint.

Senior Oliver McNally pulled Harvard ahead for good when he sank back-to-back three-pointers, which gave Harvard a 15-9 advantage at 13:06. Freshman Travis Jonah followed up with a pair from the free throw line before Harvard’s offense tallied four consecutive layups to increase their lead to 27-13.

The Bulldogs offense eventually came to life following a four-minute scoring drought late in the first half, as sophomore Jeremiah Kreisberg recorded a layup at 3:31, which led to nine consecutive points by Yale before the buzzer sounded to conclude the first 20-minute period.

“[Yale this season] has been down, [but] they’ve just marched their way back in and won games, and that’s a mark of a good team, and a tough team,” said Amaker.

Once the second half started, Yale’s offense was electric, as Kreisberg sparked the Bulldogs to go on a 10-7 run, which eventually was halted when Curry and freshman Corbin Miller knocked down a few three-pointers to pull Harvard ahead, 50-41.

Their Crimsons lead eventually ballooned to 60-49 when Curry delivered a highlight reel dunk for the fans, and senior Keith Wright, (10 points, eight rebounds) knocked down a critical jump shot at 3:43 in the second half.

“I didn’t even know I dunked it to be honest with you,” said Curry. “I was just going for it. Just drove and then it happened.”

Junior Kyle Casey then clinched the team’s 10^th victory at Lavietes Pavilion with a powerful dunk a few minutes afterward to secure Harvard’s 23^rd victory of the season, which matches their win total from last season.

“I’m glad that we were able to take care of business,” said Curry. “We knew this was going to be a tough two-games this weekend, so I’m glad that we were able to buckle down, and get the two w’s.”

Harvard’s win on Saturday also marks their 27^th consecutive home win, which is the second longest streak in the country.

“We’re a deep team, and one thing coach says to us every so often is it’s amazing what we can accomplish because no one cares who gets the credit,” said Wright.

The Crimson will return to their home gymnasium next week when they face Princeton on Friday, Feb. 24.