Spartan boys hoop loses to Spellman

LYNN – The St. Mary?s boys basketball team lost, 62-54, against No. 18 Cardinal Spellman at the Tony Conigliaro Gymnasium on Monday. The Spartans fell to 0-1 under new coach Dave Brown.?You have to give them credit; they are an experienced team that is ranked 18th in the state,” said Brown. “I was pleased with our effort, though, as we have only had eight practices together as a team. We had a solid effort defensively but we need to be more efficient on the offensive.”St. Mary?s came out flying as it started the game on a 6-2 run and led 15-11 after one quarter.The second quarter went back and forth as Cardinal Spellman started the quarter on a 5-0 run to take a 16-15 lead. The Spartans answered with a 5-0 run of their own to take a 20-16 lead. The Cardinals responded with an 8-0 lead to take a 24-20 lead. The Spartans used another 5-0 run to take a 25-24 lead. The Cardinals ended the half with a 27-25 lead as they were able to end the quarter with a 3-0 run.Cardinal Spellman came out and dominated play at the start of the second half as it outscored the Spartans 23-8 in the third quarter. The turning point of the quarter, and ultimately the game, was when the Spartans had a fast break opportunity with 3:05 remaining in the third while trailing 36-31. The Cardinal Spellman defense came up with not one but two huge blocks that ignited an offensive outpouring as the Cardinals finished the quarter with a 15-2 run to take a 50-33 lead.The Spartans did not quit, though, as they started the fourth quarter on a 17-6 run to cut the lead down to six, but the Spellman offense was just too strong as it held on for an eight-point victory.?These kids are always such great athletes and well-coached,” said Cardinal Spellman coach Mike Perry. “Any time that we are able to come up to St. Mary?s and win is huge.”Sophomore Anthony Silfa was the offensive firepower for St. Mary?s as he had 30 points, including five three-pointers. Point guard Ryan Roach led the way for the Cardinals with 18 points.