LYNN — Friday’s boys basketball game between Lynn Tech and Essex Tech was shaping up to be a plodding, physical and foul-plagued affair.
The game, which Lynn Tech won 67-47, was for the championship of the Commonwealth Conference/Small Division, for which both teams were competing, and nobody was giving up anything easily.
Perhaps it was the man-to-man defenses, and perhaps it was because the teams have become rivals. But the Tigers and Hawks were going elbow-to-elbow for most of three quarters.
Then, Lynn coach Stevie Patrick changed up, going with a half-court trap in an effort to jump-start his team offensively. And it worked.
The lead had teetered back and forth for the entire time until Patrick began using the trap.
“I’ve been trying to get our kids used to man to prepare them for the tournament,” said Patrick, “but when it looked as if we couldn’t put distance between them and us, we changed up and started looking for steals and some easier baskets.”
Considering that Tech clung to a one-point lead at the half, and could do no better than get it up to three (30-27) approaching the midpoint of the third quarter, you’d have to say the move to the zone didn’t just work. It was a resounding success.
By the end of the third quarter, the lead was up to seven (41-34) and the Tigers completely knocked the Hawks off their perch in the fourth quarter, outscoring them 26-13 and winning going away.
As a result, the Tigers win their second straight CAC/Small title, and await the tournament pairings. With no end-of-season tournaments over the weekend and next week, the Tigers are through.
Patrick said there are 15 teams that will make the tournament in Division 3, and his team is somewhere around ninth.
“There are a lot of things that still have to be decided,” Patrick said, “but I’m hoping we get a home game.”
Though Patrick would clearly like to play one more game in the T. O’Connor Gym, the school bid adieu to its seniors, both boys and girls, before the game.
Junior Robert Wallace had a game-high 18 points for the Tigers and senior Belmin Berillo had 16. Tre Baldwin scored seven, and they all game at the point where the Tigers finally started pulling away.
“Robert is probably going to be the first guy in Tech history to score 1,000 points and have 1,000 rebounds,” said Patrick. “He’s had a fantastic year.
“Berillo had a strong game too,” said Patrick. “I like the way our guys played tonight.”
He also has developed a lot of respect for the Hawks.
“They’re a good team, with a good coach (Juan Juan),” said Patrick. “They’ve turned into our big rivals in basketball.”
Though both teams seemed to have trouble asserting themselves, it was Lynn Tech that led at every checkpoint — 16-13 after a quarter and 26-25 at the half.
Tech did try to pull away toward the end of the third quarter with an 8-0 run to make it 36-29 (the first such spurt by either team in the game) but the Hawks answered it and got it down to two (36-34).
But Tech answered that with a 9-2 spurt and firmly established control there after.
Nick Irving led the Hawks with 15 points, and Ryan Reynolds had nine.