FILE PHOTO
Edwin Solis hit a three-pointer with 1.6 seconds to play, leading Classical to the win.
By GORDON VINCENT
MARBLEHEAD – If the Lynn Classical and Marblehead High boys basketball teams meet in the state tournament in a few weeks, it’s going to be hard for them to top the drama and excitement of their game last night.
Edwin Solis drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 1.6 seconds left to lift the Rams to a 61-58 win over the Magicians Friday at a jam-packed Marblehead High Field House.
“We wanted to win this game bad because they’re one of the best teams in the conference,” said Solis.
The result probably doesn’t change the Div. 2 North seeding for the Rams (18-3; 15-1 Northeastern Conference), who are locked into the third seed, but the loss at least temporarily knocks Marblehead (17-3; 15-1) out of the top spot in the bracket, a game behind Arlington.
The defeat also ended the Magicians’ 16-game win streak, but Marblehead coach Mike Giardi chose to focus on the competitive aspect of the game.
“It’s games like this that help get you ready for the state tournament,” Giardi said. “We made some mistakes that we have to correct, but we knew coming in that Classical is a very good team and that we were in for a battle.”
Dyrrell Rucker led the Rams with 16 points, while Edwin Solis had 14. Jaylen Johnson and Erick Solis added 12 each. Northeastern Conference MVP candidate Derek Marino paced the Magicians with 24 points and nine rebounds, while Patrick Bugler added 16 points. Bo Millett scored nine points and grabbed 17 rebounds.
Two free throws by Erick Solis put the Rams ahead, 58-48, with 2:44 left in the game. Marblehead came out of a timeout and employed a press on Classical, which got the Magicians back into the game with a 10-0 run. Seamus Keaney swished a 3-pointer from the left elbow with 1:37 left, and then Marino laid in an alley oop pass from Drew Gally to tie the game at 58-58 with 20.9 seconds to go.
Classical eschewed a timeout and got the ball to Edwin Solis at the top of the key. His 3-pointer found the bottom of the net.
“There wasn’t a plan,” said Classical coach Tom Grassa. “We didn’t call timeout because we didn’t want to give them a chance to set up their defense for our final shot.”
After a Marblehead timeout, the Magicians threw a long pass that went out-of-bounds past the Rams’ end line without a touch. Johnson was fouled on the ensuing in-bounds with 0.3 seconds left. He missed the front end of the one-and-one, but the horn went off before Marblehead could unleash a desperation full-court heave.
A back-and-forth first quarter saw the Rams lead by as many as five and the Magicians lead by as many as four before it ended up in a 16-16 tie. Classical went on a 12-0 run early in the second quarter to take the game’s first double-digit lead, but Bugler nailed a couple of 3-pointers later in the period to help close the Magicians’ deficit to four, 36-32, at halftime.
Both teams scored 11 points in a third quarter that was played at a deliberate pace. After a layup by Marino tied the game at 47-47 with 7:15 left, the Rams went on a 11-1 run, with Rucker scoring six points during the spurt.
“This is a big win for us because it gives us back some confidence,” Grassa said. “We had been playing well until about a couple of weeks ago, and then we hit a stretch where we struggled. I think a win over a good team like Marblehead in their gym will give us a decent boost.”
The regular season is over for the Rams. The Magicians host Tewksbury in the first round of the Brad Sheridan Tournament on Monday (7), and close out their regular season with the championship or consolation game against either Pope John or Wakefield on Wednesday.