North boys hoop squad wins a shootout

SWAMPSCOTT ? If you like 3-pointers, dunks and fast break layups, and don’t care too much about defense, then Swampscott High was the place to be for Friday night’s annual Northeastern Conference All-Star game, which was won by the North, 123-114.View Photo GalleryAlmost everyone scored, no one got hurt, and the SRO crowd was treated to a good show. Steve Bowers of Swampscott led all scorers for the South with 20 points, while Nick Bates of Danvers added 18. For the North, which featured the two Lynn teams, Classical’s Jalen Brown led the way with 18 points, while Gio Gomez of Revere had 14.The game was played at the pace of a track meet, particularly when English’s trio of Fred Hogan, Erik Rosario and Stevie Collins were on the floor. The Bulldogs combined for 11 of their team’s 14 points over a span of just two minutes early in the first half, capped by a 3-pointer from Hogan from the top of the key.”My teammates and I like to run at a pretty quick tempo,” said Hogan, who finished the game with 11 points.Saugus’ Shane Ripley and Joe Bertrand were just as productive for the South, and they combined for 12 straight points for their team as the game remained close through the first 10 minutes.Revere’s Gomez and Mike Ciambelli sparked a 15-0 run for the North that, as it turned out, gave it the lead for good. A 3-point play by Peabody’s Maynard Wheeler put the North ahead, 46-31, with 7:16 remaining in the opening period.The North’s lead eventually got up to 20 when Classical’s Phil Rogers made a layup around a couple of threes from Brown. Ripley and Bertrand closed out a quick run for the South that made the score 66-49, at halftime.Bowers dominated the early second half, scoring 11 points in just over four minutes to help get the South’s deficit back under double-digits. Winthrop’s Josh Babb made a 3-point play to make the score 76-67, but Gomez and Ciambelli led another spurt that pushed the lead back up to 17.The South never got closer than nine again as the last several minutes became an impromptu dunk contest, with a monster jam by Classical’s Brown edging a 1-handed power slam from Bates for best in show.Vinny Clifford won the halftime 3-point contest with a perfect 10-for-10 effort, while English’s Hogan finished second with eight.