BV Basketball’s Dominant Season Ends

Millbrook’s boys varsity basketball team had a season for the ages this winter, going 20–5 during the regular season, cracking the top-50 in the national prep school rankings, and entering the NEPSAC Class B playoffs as the No. 1 seed. Unfortunately, the Mustangs’ pursuit of a championship fell short on Saturday, as they lost a hard-fought semifinal matchup at home against a tough opponent in The Rivers School.

The Red Wings came out strong, building an early 23–12 lead. But the Mustangs rallied, ripping off a 12–2 run to pull within one despite their star player, Zoumana Traore ’25, being forced to the bench by foul trouble.

It was anybody’s game at the half, as The Rivers School took a slim 31–26 lead into the locker room. But a 19–6 Red Wings run to start the second half put the Mustangs in a hole they couldn’t quite climb out of, and the game ended 84–66 in the visiting team’s favor.

While the loss dashed the Mustangs’ championship hopes, the boys have much to be proud of. They played their hearts out against a team with two NCAA Division I commits, representing Millbrook with class until the final buzzer.

Millbrook’s basketball program will now enter a transition period. The team is losing eight seniors, including captains Traore and Chase Garcia ’25. Also, Western New England Prep Co-Coach of the Year Billy Thom is leaving the team to focus on his social work and study for a PhD in sports performance psychology.

There’s a lot to look forward to, though. Thom’s replacement, current assistant coach Garvin McAlister, has extensive coaching experience at the NCAA Division I, II, and II levels, including at Dartmouth College. He has a talented group of rising seniors to turn into champions next year.

Congratulations to the boys varsity basketball squad for putting together an amazing season. We look forward to watching our graduating seniors find new success in college, and we’re excited to see how the team develops next winter!