The Cranston West boys basketball team continued its ascent up the Division II standings in its past two games, beating Coventry 54-49 in a tight battle last Thursday then picking up a 49-46 decision over Times2 Academy on Monday. The Falcons have won seven of their past eight games, including five straight, and clinched a playoff berth in the process.

“We’re expecting a battle any given night and are almost hoping for that. We have been preaching togetherness and toughness, emotionally, physically and mentally. We’re getting there, step by step. Physically, we’re getting tougher. Getting in there, boxing out more, playing better defense. Mentally, we’re still looking to find that balance, that competitiveness, but we’re getting there,” said West coach James Sweeney.

Last week’s contest against the visiting Oakers was a seesaw battle throughout, with neither team leading by double digits at any point of the contest.

“This was outstanding. To have the crowd behind us in a playoff atmosphere, the game was never out of reach for either team. When you get into a dogfight in a playoff atmosphere, that’s the experience that we need. We are learning how to win,” said Sweeney after the win.

Junior forward Jaymien Aponte led the way with 19 points while Anthony Veltri added 11 and Marcus Chung nine.

Aponte was a force on each end of the floor for West, also leading the team in rebounds.

“It was amazing. The thrill, the atmosphere, the crowd was getting into it. We were talking before the game that they didn’t have too many bigs. They weren’t boxing out so I saw an opportunity to get in there, grab some rebounds and play my best. We want it, we definitely want it,” said Aponte after the win.

Sweeney added: “Jaymien was fantastic tonight as he has been all season long. We continue to put as much confidence into Jaymien as we can. He’s a confident kid, but he doesn’t know how good he can be. Nights like this show everybody that, at times, he is the best player on the floor. When he realizes it, he shows it, and he was fantastic on both offense and defense tonight.”

Not only have the Falcons climbed their way into the Division II playoffs, but they now are looking at a potential entrance into the upcoming open state tournament. After a slow 2-5 start to the winter, Sweeney has been proud of his veterans for guiding the turnaround.

“It’s all player leadership. Commitment, dedication and trusting the process. These kids can play and when they do it together, it’s showing, the results are there,” Sweeney said. “We just have to ride this momentum as long as we can.”

Nick Masse led the Falcons with 15 points against Times2 on Monday while Aponte added 14 and Veltri 13. West improved to 10-6 in league play with the win.