Winthrop’s boys hoop run ends in D4 North final

SALEM – It’s a lot easier to beat one player than an entire team.While the Winthrop High boys basketball was able to handle Lynnfield and Mike Kennedy on Tuesday, the Vikings couldn’t come up with an answer for a balanced North Cambridge Catholic squad and lost the Division 4 North final, 67-50, Friday night, at Salem State’s Twohig Gym.While Paul Rose (22 points) and Clyde Francis (12) were the only two players in double figures for the 6th-seeded Panthers (17-9), nine different North Cambridge players scored, including six who got at least one 3-point field goal, and there were contributions from everyone on defense and under the boards.”It’s really been a team effort all year long,” North Cambridge Catholic coach Daniel Salazar said. “These kids don’t give up. We don’t have a lot of height or size, but we have great lateral movement and quickness. I don’t think a lot of the teams we’ve played in the tournament have seen our level of quickness during the regular season.”Dino Mallios (20 points) was the only player in double figures for the 5th-seeded Vikings (15-9), and no other player had more than seven. The Panthers swarmed Winthrop’s two big players – Andrew Visco and Jonathan Murdock – at times even quadruple-teaming Murdock in the low post.”They really hurt us on the backboards,” Winthrop coach David Brown said. “That was really the difference. They’re a very athletic team and they’re quick to the ball.”North Cambridge broke the game open late in the second period with a 12-2 run, with all the points coming on 3-pointers, from four different players. The Falcons led, 21-18, when Francis started the run with a bomb from the right wing with 2:34 left in the first half.After a couple of free throws for Winthrop by Mallios (10-for-11 from the line), Rashawn Morris, Andrew Felix and Rose buried 3-pointers on consecutive possessions and North Cambridge suddenly led, 33-20.”We knew (Rose and Felix) were good shooters, but once those other guys starting hitting, it was really pick your poison,” Brown said.Winthrop got the lead down to seven early in the third quarter, but then went 5:12 without hitting another field goal while Brandon Bowman and Felix combined offensively to give the Panthers a lead of as many as 14 points (46-32) before Mallios hit a runner with three seconds to go in the period.A 7-0 run early in the fourth period peaked North Cambridge Catholic’s lead at 53-36, but the Vikings made one last run and trailed by just nine when Mallios buried a 3-pointer from the left elbow with 4:52 left.Eddie Maiben and Francis answered with threes and a slashing layup by Rose gave the Panthers their largest lead of the game at 65-46 with 2:56 remaining. “He’s just a tremendous player,” Salazar said, of Rose. “He’s always the toughest kid on the court. Last year, he struggled, but this year he’s become a complete player.”North Cambridge Catholic led by as many as six points early in the game, but Winthrop rallied behind five points each from Visco and Mallios to tie the game, 12-12, at the end of the first quarter. Rose gave the Panthers the led for good when he coverted a hoop off a steal and then made long 3-pointer from the left elbow early in the second quarter.”This team had a great year,” Winthrop’s Brown said. “Six years ago, we were 2-18, and every year we’ve improved a bit. We’ve got nothing to hang our heads about, and even though we’re losing a couple of seniors, we plan on being back here.”