Classical boys hoop falls short against Danvers

DANVERS – If you can remember the last time the Danvers High boys basketball team beat English and Classical in the same season, you’ve got a longer memory than anyone who was in the Danvers High Fieldhouse last night.Danvers (8-1) withstood a second half rally by the Rams (5-4) and held on for a 63-57 win, Friday, at the Falcons’ gleaming renovated gym. Nick McKenna led Danvers with 17 points, while George Merry added 15.The Falcons trounced a Keandre Stanton-less English team by 30 points last Friday, and last night’s win gives them a sweep over the two Lynn teams this season.For Classical, Moise Builou led all scorers with 19 points, while Davon Morris contributed 13.Trailing by as many as 16 points in the third quarter, Classical rallied to tie the game at 50-50 with 5:33 to play, but McKenna hit a big 3-pointer down the stretch and then Eric Martin (12 points) canned a couple of free throws with 32.6 seconds left to help nail down the win.To that point, Danvers had missed eight of 10 free throws in the second half, which helped Classical get back into the game.”We missed some shots. Not just the free throws, but makeable shots. Bunnies,” Danvers coach John Walsh said. “We get the lead up to 20 in the third quarter, maybe it’s a little more comfortable for us at the end, but give Classical credit. That’s a typical Classical team. They’re tough, they play hard and they’re well-coached.”The Rams also made an effort to take the ball to the basket in the second half, against the conventional wisdom of penetrating the realm of the 6-7 Merry. With Classical trailing, 43-27, Builou scored 14 of his team’s next 16 points, and a 3-pointer by Jorge Perez from the left wing tied the game.”We started making shots,” Classical coach Tom Grassa said. “We told them (in a timeout) to start attacking the basket, and we had a good matchup because (Builou) had a defender who couldn’t guard him.”Nick Bates connected on a 7-footer and added a free throw to put Danvers back on top, 53-50, with 4:18 left. After Builou made a free throw, McKenna buried a courageous three from the right elbow. Uche Nwokeji got two points back with a putback, but Builou committed his fifth foul on Merry on the next possession.Martin’s pair of free throws put Danvers back on top by six, but Morris was inexplicably fouled while shooting a wild three from the top of the key. He made all three free throws and it was a one possession game, 60-57, with 22.1 seconds left.Martin was fouled almost immediately in the backcourt and made one of two. A clever steal and layup by Jon Amico iced the game with 7.1 seconds to go.”We committed too many turnovers,” Grassa said. “I had us for 20. There were about five that were just good plays by them, but we’ve got to take better care of the basketball.”A 3-pointer by Perez gave the Rams and early 9-6 lead, but Danvers went on an 8-0 run and closed the first quarter with am 18-11 lead. Classical answered with a run to tie the game in the second period, but the Falcons slowly crept back ahead and McKenna’s three from the top of the key just before the buzzer game Danvers a 30-23 lead at halftime.McKenna and Merry combined for 14 of Danvers’ 16 points in the third quarter.