Bertrand scores 33 as Saugus eliminates Northeast

Joe Bertrand led visiting Saugus to a 70-55 victory over seventh-seeded Northeast Regional at Arthur P. Boyle Gymnasium on Tuesday night in the first round of the Division 3 North sectional in the MIAA Tournament.Bertrand poured in 33 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Guard Dan Cacciola contributed to the victory with 14 points.”Our seniors all stepped up,” said Saugus head coach Paul Moran. “All three seniors played well.”Bertrand, Jack Furey, and Mike Lichwaua chipped in with a solid defensive effort to limit Northeast in the second half, particularly in the fourth quarter. Saugus was able to force 18 turnovers with its aggressive press defense.Saugus pulled away early in the fourth quarter with an 8-0 spurt. Bertrand had four points on a couple of free throws and a layup in transition. Lamarr Jones added a basket and Cacciola finished the run with a jumper from just inside the three-point line as Saugus held a 54-42 advantage.Northeast was unable to reduce the Saugus lead past eight points at 63-55. Saugus knocked down its free throws late in the game. Overall, the Sachems were 13-of-19 from the free throw line.”They shot well,” said Northeast head coach Keith Leavitt. “Saugus has a good perimeter shooting team.”The 10th-seeded Sachems jumped out to a 14-7 lead with five minutes left in the opening quarter. Bertrand had seven points in the opening run.Northeast battled back as the Golden Eagles used a 10-0 run spanning the first two quarters to take a 23-15 advantage.Saugus regained the lead after Bertrand drilled a straightaway three-pointer to give Saugus a 24-23 edge. The Sachems went into the locker room with a 28-25 advantage.When the second half began, Bertrand knocked down three of his seven three-pointers before Northeast took a timeout. The Golden Knights stared at their largest deficit at 37-25.”Coach told me to keep shooting,” said Bertrand. “My teammates did a great job getting the ball to me.”Northeast refused to go away as it pulled to within one possession on a few occasions before Saugus took a 46-42 lead into the fourth quarter.”I was hoping we would wear them out,” said Moran. “We have a big bench as we go 11 or 12 deep. I think we got them a little tired, but they hung with us.”Saugus advances to take on Watertown on Friday night in the quarterfinals.