English breaks it open

LYNN – English used a big spurt in the first four minutes of the third quarter for an 85-64 victory over Marblehead at Paul Cavanagh Field House on Tuesday night.Fred Hogan led English (7-0) with 23 points. Erick Rosario had 18 points and five assists. Danny Lukanda posted a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds.”We always tell them the first four minutes of the second half is the most important,” said English head coach Mike Carr. “The thing with us is we have to play defense the way we can play.”We have to get up-tempo and force turnovers.”English went on a 16-0 run to begin the second half.Rosario scored on a floater in transition to provide the Bulldogs with a 42-30 advantage. Hogan then knocked down a three-pointer from the right corner.Lukanda added a three-point play.When a Marblehead player attempted to save the ball on a rebound, he threw the ball into the arms of Johnny Hilaire underneath the basket.Hilaire hit the layup as English took a 50-30 lead.Schuyler Hogan continued the onslaught with a trey off an offensive rebound by Fred Hogan.Marblehead did not score a basket until about three and a half minutes were left in the quarter.After the third quarter ended, English was ahead, 69-43.Matt Millet had 13 points for the Magicians (4-5, 2-3). Spencer Craig (10) and Angel Perez (11) also recorded double figures in points for Marblehead.Craig gave the Magicians a quick 4-0 lead off a jumper and a layup.Fred Hogan and Rosario drilled back-to-back shots from behind the three-point line as English grabbed a lead that it would not relinquish.Marblehead refused to go away in the first half.Both teams responded whenever one team appeared to gain momentum.English had trouble making shots from the perimeter over the top of Marblehead’s zone defense.”We settled for a lot of bad shots in the first half,” said Carr. “We also had a lot of bad shots in the second half, but they went down.”English’s lead reached as high as 16 points at 38-22 before Marblehead went on an 8-2 run to conclude the first half.The Magicians received baskets from Millett, Perez and Peter Tully.Hogan’s 17 points helped English take a 10-point margin into the locker room.In the second half, English appeared to wear Marblehead down with its zone press.Marblehead committed 19 turnovers and missed many open shots.English plays Salem tonight at 6 p.m. at home.