Clean sweep for English hoops: Rucker steps up as boys beat Classical in OT

LYNN ? The Lynn English boys basketball team proved it was the best team in the Northeastern Conference during the entire season. With Friday’s night’s 69-65 win in overtime over Classical, the Bulldogs also proved they’re the best team in the city.Judging by the wild post-game celebration on the court at English’s Cavangh Gym, it would have been hard to tell which achievement is more important.English won the season series, 2-1, also taking the final of the Boverini Tournament in December. The Rams won a week later at Classical.”It’s just a great win for our program,” English coach Buzzy Barton said. “Anytime we play Clasical, it’s always a great game.”Charlie Rucker scored 15 points to lead English, which had four other players in double figures including Ryan Woumn (13), James Mitchell (12), Justin Young and Eugene Turner (10).While there is little glory in defeat, there can be valor, and the Rams (13-8) got plenty of that from Jasper Grassa, who scored a career-high 33 points, 24 of which came on 3-pointers. Jarell Byrd, who was plagued by foul trouble, was the only other player in double figures for Classical with 12 points.”We had chances to win, and our effort was outstanding,” Classical coach Tom Grassa said. “It’s tough to compete with their size, especially without Tony Wonde (torn ACL), who was our second leading rebounder when he got hurt.”Classical led for most of the game, but needed an off-balance runner from Grassa with 19 seconds left in regulation for force overtime. Classical led by as many a three points early in the OT, but the Bulldogs crept back into it with free throws and then took the lead for good when Rucker made a 7-foot hook shot from the left of the lane with 1:36 remaining.A free throw by English’s Jeremy Subervi and another bucket by Rucker increased English’s lead to four, but Classical’s Cam Smith scored with 39 seconds left in overtime to cut the lead to two.Woumn then made arguably the biggest basket of the night, on a slashing drive through the lane with 21 seconds left. Turner ended the Rams’ last hope when he intercepted a pass with seven second remaining.”We have all the confidence in the world in Ryan Woumn,” Barton said. “He could average 20 points a game, but we ask him to run the point for us and he’s tremendous.”The game went back and forth early. With Byrd and forward Tony Johnson on the bench with two fouls each, English closed out the first quarter on a 5-0 run to lead, 17-15. Grassa, who made five 3-pointers over English’s zone in the first half, helped give the Rams a 5-point lead (34-29) at halftime.Another 3-pointer by Grassa peaked Classical’s lead at 48-41 in the third quarter, but English closed out the period on a 6-0 run and took its first lead since the beginning of the second quarter when Young made a fast break layup on a feed from Woumn with 4:03 left in regulation.After Grassa’s foul line jumper tied the game in the final minute of regulation, English moved the ball to the frontcourt and called timeout with nine seconds left. Turner lost the handle at the foul line, and Classical’s Kyle Smith pounced on the ball at midcourt and called time with four seconds left, but The Rams never got off a shot.