By Liam Shannon
@liamshannon_14
Sitting right across State Street from each other, the High School of Science and Technology and Putnam Vocational/Technical School got to show off its rivalry on the national stage during Thursday’s Panini Hoophall Classic matchup in Blake Arena at Springfield College. Despite being down following the first quarter, the Cybercats’ offense exploded in the second quarter and never looked back, as they held on to defeat the Beavers 63-43.
Despite taking place on the opening day of the 2026 Hoophall Classic at Springfield College, this contest had multiple implications for both Putnam and Sci-Tech. Falling right in the middle of their regular seasons, Thursday’s matchup was a regular season contest for both the Cybercats and the Beavers.
Sci-Tech came in sporting a 5-2 record and riding a three game win streak and looked to keep it going against a 2-6 Putnam team that has experience playing in Blake Arena. The Beavers attended the Hoophall Classic last year, playing two games and dropping both of them. The Cybercats were making their first experience in the tournament.
The first quarter showcased the scrappiness of this rivalry, as junior guard Jayden Vellon was called for a technical foul. Putnam also displayed its tough defense, as Victory Henry tallied three blocks in the frame. After his team’s showing in the first, Sci-Tech coach Shalka Rivera knew he needed to make some adjustments.
“The court is a little bit longer than a high school court,” said Rivera. “So we had to get our legs underneath us, we prepared for this, conditioned for this, so I just told them: ‘Hey guys, the other practice we just ran for two hours straight to prepare you guys for this, we’re fine, we’ll be okay.”
Rivera’s reminders seemingly worked wonders for the Cybercats as they outscored the Beavers 15-3 in the second quarter, entering halftime up by ten points.
Now playing with the lead, Sci-tech continued to pour it on offensively. Vellon led the charge, finishing with a game high 16 points. He finished with six field goals including a pair of threes to go along with two free throws. Vellon also aided in his teammates’ attack, as he stuffed the stat sheet with nine assists and seven rebounds.
Anthony Sanchez Jr. followed Vellon’s lead, ending with 15 points, including three buckets from beyond the arc.
Marcus Jones held it down defensively as he racked up seven blocks and a steal.
Quinton McMillan Jr. keyed the Beavers offense, finishing with a team-high 15 points, while Victory Henry blocked eight shots defensively.
The victory marked Sci-Tech’s first win over Putnam in three years, something that Vellon was very proud of.
“It feels great, in the past they used to beat us a lot, they always used to call us the little brother from across the street, so we had a chip on our shoulder from the beginning of the game, from the get go.”
Hoophall is an opportunity for top high school basketball recruits to show off their talents, but as a Hoophall alumni himself, Rivera knew just how important this experience was for his local squad playing on a national stage.
“It’s always a great experience to be in the Hoophall, and it’s just a nice little rivalry game against Putnam, we have bragging rights for at least a year now, we don’t see them again this year, and just for the community itself, it was great basketball for both teams.”
Photo courtesy of Shane Baran/The Student