Tech defeats Gr. New Bedford to win state voke title

LYNN – Tech boys hoop prepared for the state tourney by capturing its eighth State Vocational Large Basketball title, overwhelming Gr. New Bedford, 88-59, Friday.The Tigers (14-6), who enter the Division 3 North Sectionals as the fourth seed, never trailed, and used their swarming defensive pressure throughout, to the tune of 18 steals – several leading to fast break points.”We have a very tough unit,” said Tigers coach Marvin Avery of his defense. “They come out in waves, and we had solid defensive pressure.”Leading 11-8 midway through the opening quarter, Tech went on a 12-0 run, with perhaps the most impressive basket coming off a steal by guard Gerrad Fairweather at midcourt. After a few dribbles, he fed teammate Trey Gallo, positioned to the right of the Bears bucket, and Gallo went in for the layup.Tech widened its lead to 40-21 midway through the second stanza, but Greater New Bedford (14-8) took advantage of sloppiness by the Tigers, putting together a 11-3 spree (led by guard Jordan Burris, who had seven of its points) to get to within 43-32 (with the only Tech points coming on a three-pointer by guard Rich Warren, who led the Tigers with 15). Yet another three by Warren, right at the buzzer gave Tech momentum heading into the locker room with a 47-32 edge.The Bears kept the game close with a 7-0 spurt shortly into the third period to get to within 49-39. Yet the Tigers opened to a 62-43 lead on the basis of an 8-0 tear, with a three by guard Felix Rios doing the damage.Tech’s lead was whittled down to 14 (69-55 midway through the fourth, with the Bears ready to cut further into it. Yet the Tigers embarked on a 19-1-tear to put the game well out of reach.”We’ve played them three of the last four years, and we haven’t seen (defensive) pressure like that all year,” said Greater New Bedford coach Robert Pimental about the Tigers. “They got the rebounds, and went on their fastbreak very quickly. We were able to get to within ten, but never down to single digits.”Tech had five players in double digit scoring (Warren with 15, forwards J-Bay Baptiste and Omar Nyang with 14, and Gallo and fellow guard Michael Duarte with 10), and two others chipped in with nine. “That’s something that I take pride in, our balanced scoring,” Avery said. “I never panic in the first half, because a 16-20 point lead isn’t safe. We made a few adjustments, and had a few runs (in the second half).”