Holyoke’s Sci-Tech Cybercats turned a gritty turnaround season into history Wednesday night. They held Pittsfield to 47 points while pulling away late for a 65-47 win in the Western Mass. Class B final. The victory marked the school’s first title at this level.

Head coach Shalka Rivera watched his team hound the Generals on defense. Sci-Tech limited opponents to eight fewer points per quarter on average this season, according to Rivera. That edge showed up clearly after a tight first half.

The Cybercats trailed by one late in the second quarter, 24-23. Junior Anthony Sanchez Jr. changed that. He drained a deep three-pointer to cap a strong sequence and send Sci-Tech into halftime ahead 29-23. Sanchez opened the third with another triple. All eight of his points came in a three-minute span.

“Anthony was the difference this year with our guard play,” Rivera said. “He got us into our plays and became one of our better shooters.”

Sci-Tech’s defense clamped down further after the break. The Cybercats outscored Pittsfield 21-12 in the fourth quarter. Vashon McNeil kicked it off with four quick points. Marcus Jones followed with a game-high 17 points, including a powerful dunk and a layup off a steal.

“We’ve had so many ups and downs the past four years, but it was all worth it,” Jones said. “I feel like we really deserve this.”

Rivera’s squad entered the final on a six-game tear. That run started after a 27-point loss to Longmeadow on Jan. 28. “We knew we were going to be better than last year,” Rivera said. “But then it all started to click. Guys started to believe.”

Pittsfield coach Jerome Edgerton saw his team’s state tournament hopes dented. The Generals still advance to the Division III bracket. “We’ve got to regroup,” Edgerton said. “Stay disciplined on defense, execute on offense, figure out what to do against length. This loss sucks right now.”

Sci-Tech now eyes a deep state run. The Cybercats face the next challenge with the same blueprint. “In order to make a run, we have to continue to play defense,” Rivera said. “No matter what.”