LYNN ? When the Lynn English and Salem High boys’ basketball teams play each other, you can almost always count on two things: the game will be close, and it will be entertaining.
The Bulldogs rallied from an eight-point deficit at the end of three quarters to emerge with an 88-82 win over the Witches Friday night at Cavanagh Gym. The victory virtually assures English (13-1, 10-0 Northeastern Conference) of another North division title, as the Bulldogs now have a three-game lead on the Witches (10-4, 8-3).
?Yeah, we’re playing for (tournament) seeding now,” Salem coach Tom Doyle said. “We put up a fight tonight, but English is a great team. They’re going to be tough to catch.”
Erick Rosario led the Bulldogs with a game-high 28 points, nine of which were scored in the fourth-quarter comeback. Anthony Silfa also scored nine of his 17 points in the final period, while Johnny Hilaire added 15 for the game and Stevie Collins had 12.
For Salem, Bryan Martinez carved his way underneath for 19 points, while Alex Sanchez, Jhonel Roberts and Argenis Luna added 14 each. Joel Nunez chipped in with 10 for the plucky Witches, who despite a relative lack of height made things difficult for the Bulldogs with their quickness in a 3-2 zone.
?You have to give all the credit in the world to them and (Doyle), who is one of the best coaches on the North Shore,” English coach Mike Carr said. “We’re at our best when we’re playing at a fast pace, and they forced us to do things offensively that we don’t do as well. We’re not a great half-court team.”
The Witches blitzed English with an 8-0 run to open the game, but the Bulldogs answered with a 19-2 run that included nine points from Rosario. Roberts rallied Salem with two buckets, including a three-pointer from the right wing, to close Salem’s deficit to 23-17 at the end of the first quarter.
A quick 9-2 run behind two baskets from Tom Rijo gave English what turned out to be its biggest lead of the game, 32-19, with 6:15 remaining in the first half. Luna and Martinez then started to find seams in the Bulldogs’ defense, slowly chipping away English’s lead. Kelven Perpetuo’s driving layup just before the end of the half brought Salem back to within one point, 41-40, at the break.
Salem continued to find its offense in the third quarter, and when Roberts made the second of two three-pointers in the period, Salem had its first double-digit lead, 67-56, with 1:56 left in the quarter. English got a couple of hoops off the bench by Brett Holey to help cut the lead back to four, but Martinez and then Perpetuo closed out the quarter with one basket each to give the Witches a 71-63 lead.
Silfa kept the Bulldogs close early in the fourth period, until Rosario scored six straight points, including a deep three-pointer from the left elbow. The Witches managed to hold off English until Rosario made a runner from the lane to put the Bulldogs back on top, 81-80, for the first time since early in the third quarter.
English also turned up its defense, holding Salem without a field goal for the final 4:10, as the Bulldogs extended to a full-court trapping press, known in their parlance, of course, as the “Bulldog” defense.
?It’s a game of runs, and they made the last run,” Doyle said.Hilarie rescued an air ball with a put-back layup with 1:22 left to make the score 84-81, and then Silfa effectively finished off the game by converting on a fast break to give the Bulldogs a five-point lead with 30 seconds left.
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