Roundup: Marblehead boys hoop tops Swampscott

The Marblehead boys basketball team came out of the gate strong and sustained the pressure until the end to pull out a 63-43 win over Swampscott Thursday at Swampscott.?They jumped on us right from the get-go,” Swampscott coach Dave Born said. “We made a brief run at them late in the second quarter, but they had a tip-in at the buzzer that put them up by 11.”Marblehead had four players hit double figures. Matt Millett had 14 points, Cian Saunders, 12 points, and Will Millett and Spencer Craig, 10 each. Angel Perez had 13 rebounds to go with five points.Swampscott spread the scoring around with Sam Walker, Chris Myette and Andre Reeves each getting seven points.?This was a very important game for us coming off two tough losses to St. Mary?s and Beverly,” Marblehead coach Mike Giardi said. “We needed to get back on track.”Giardi said his team has been coming out with the zone, but this time went right to man-to-man and it worked. The Magicians are 6-7. Swampscott is 2-12.St. Mary?s 78, Whittier 49At Tony Conigliaro Gym, sophomore Anthony Silfa had a career-high 41 points for the Spartans, who are now 11-3. The first quarter was fairly close, but Silfa stepped it up in the second and St. Mary?s quickly put Whittier in the rear view mirror. Silfa scored 29 points in the first half.?Anthony caught fire,” St. Mary?s coach Dave Brown said. “He had four threes in the second quarter. Once the kids realized he was feeling it, they got the ball to him … the guards found him. It was good to see.”Brown said Silfa attacked the basket early and they opened up the perimeter to him. He finished with five threes. Curtis Lockett had nine points and eight rebounds and guards John Mercado and Dennis Bailer did a good job moving the ball.GIRLS BASKETBALLSwampscott 47, Marblehead 46At Marblehead, the Magicians hit two big threes late in the game to cut the deficit to one point and they almost came away with the win but time ran out on their final shot of the game, which went in.Swampscott (4-9) had a big game from captain Jackie Walsh, who coach Abrom Roberts said finds a way to step up and make a play when it?s on the line. Walsh had 20 points and freshman Jamie Caponigro had 16 points.McKenna Barrett had 12 points, Emily Freedland, 10 points, and Mia Bongiorno, eight for the Magicians, who are 8-5.Pentucket 73, Saugus 25At Pentucket, the Sachems couldn?t get much going in this one. Norma Waggett led the way with nine points. Saugus is 2-15.SWIMMINGMarblehead 102, Danvers 76At Lynch van Otterloo YMCA, the Magicians (8-0) captured the Northeastern Conference title. Their current streak dates back to 2006, according to coach Susan Guertin.Guertin said what made winning the title special this year is that it allowed two swimmers she has coached since they were five or six years old, Ryan Alexander and Hannah Verrette, to go out with another title. Alexander will be swimming at the University of Pennsylvania next year and Verrette will be swimming at the University of Richmond, a Division 1 program.Verrette won the 200 individual medley (2:12.34) and the 100 breaststroke (1:13.02) and Kylie Cronin swam her best time in the 100 butterfly (1:00.66). She also took first. Freshmen Kaelyn Attridge and Ryann Driscoll both qualified all their dives for the sectionals.English 103, Revere 71At Lynn Tech, the Bulldogs wrapped up their dual meet season on a high note. Mike Bruno was a double winner in the 200 free (1:57.52) and the 500 free (5:19.83); Matt Bruno won the 100 butterfly (1:02.68) and the 100 breaststroke (1:21.27) and Matt Demirs took first in diving. Danielle Carney, Marina Broufas, Frances Serwicki and Emma Trahant won the 200 medley relay (2:16.96); Demirs, Jesse Freeman, Matt Bruno and Mike Bruno, the 200 free relay (1:53.39) and Serwicki, Freeman, Matt and Mike Bruno won the 400 free relay (4:14.89).Both teams will now gear up for the Northeastern Conference meet Tuesday at Salem State.Classical 93, Swampscott 86At the Jewish Community Center