Roundup: Lynnfield boys hoop team rallies for win

The Lynnfield boys basketball team erased a slim one-point deficit with a 16-0 run to open the second half, paving the way for a 71-60 win over Pope John.”We upped the defensive pressure with a full-court press and got four or five lay-ups off of it, and the game kind of blew open from there,” said Lynnfield coach Scott McKenzie.Pioneer Mike Kennedy led his team with 21 points but received plenty of help from his teammates. Jeff Milinazzo had 15 points, five rebounds and four steals, Matt Connelly added 10 points and three steals, and Dan Kearney came off the bench to contribute 12 points in the victory.The win improved Lynnfield’s record to 2-4 while the loss dropped Pope John to 3-3.GIRLS BASKETBALLS’scott 58, Bp. Guertin 49At Haverhill, the Big Blue kept their record perfect at 6-0 and advanced to the finals of the Greater Haverhill Christmas Classic.”This was one of the best teams we played all year, and we played some good teams,” said Swampscott coach Jack Hughes. “I’m really thrilled by the way we came at them.”Scoring didn’t come easy early. The Big Blue held a 22-15 lead at halftime before an offensive explosion by both teams in the second half led to a 58-49 final.Tara Nimkar was the game’s high scorer with 22 points and also pulled down 12 rebounds. Jenna Mazzaffero had nine points and six boards, Kara Gilberg added 12 points, three steals and three assists, and starting point guard Allie Beaulieu had 10 points, five boards and dished out five assists.Swampscott will play the final against Pentucket at six o’clock at Haverhill High School.Danvers 53, M’Head 29At the Charbonneau Gymnasium in Wakefield, the Falcons evened their record at 3-3 with a decisive victory over the Magicians in the Wakefield Tournament consolation game.Danvers was ahead 30-10 at halftime and maintained their significant advantage through the remainder of the contest. Falcon Danielle Sherry was the game’s high scorer with 20 and the only participant who scored in double figures.BOYS HOCKEYPeabody 4, No. Andover 3At the Haverhill Holiday Tournament, the Tanners (4-2-0) squandered a 2-0 lead in the third period but rallied late to win the game on James Noftle’s goal with 36 seconds left in regulation.”North Andover is a real good team,” Peabody coach Mark Leonard said. “It’s a good win for us against a good team.”A.J. Parker had two goals and an assist for Peabody. Zack Brown had a goal and two assists along with linemate Andrew Bucci.Beverly 3, No. Reading 2At Talbot Rink in Gloucester, the Panthers (4-1-1) rebounded from a tough loss to Gloucester with a win over a quality Hornets team.Beverly trailed 2-1 with just over five minutes left before Mike Boches and Kyle Irving scored 3:31 apart for the win.Swampscott 8, Pope John 1At East Boston High School, the Big Blue claimed their third straight Deep Freeze Tournament title.Justin Massey had four goals, Danny Rakoc had three, and Colby Wollerscheid added a goal of his own in the rout. Brendon Hambleton and A.J. Zarinsky each had two assists.Pope John scored first, but stellar defensive play and strong goalkeeping by Conor Barton (12 saves) were the perfect compliment to Swampscott’s (2-2-2) nearly flawless offensive execution.”We’re coming out with speed and moving the puck well,” said Big Blue coach Gino Faia. “We’re starting to play consistently through three periods of hockey.”