St. Mary’s boys to face Billerica in Spartan Classic final

The St. Mary?s boys? basketball team opened play at the 10th annual Spartan Classic by exacting a major measure of revenge with a 70-59 victory over reigning Division 4 state champion St. Clement?s, the same team that ended St. Mary?s season in the North finals last year.
?These kids were extremely motivated and it showed,” said Spartans coach Dave Brown, whose team will meet Billerica in the tournament?s title game Thursday night. The Indians claimed a 72-43 victory over Pope John Paul II in the evening?s first semifinal.
Senior captain Dennis Bailer scored a game-high 36 points in the win, to inch closer to the 1,000 point mark for his career. He will need 22 in the season finale to reach the milestone.
?When you talk about a list of the best players in the state, (Bailer?s) name has to be on it,” said Brown.
Bailer is averaging 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists a game.
?He?s the focal point of every team?s defense that we?ve played,” Brown said. “But he continues to score the basketball, night in and night out.”
In what was a close game throughout, St. Mary?s (14-5) missed nine free-throw attempts over the opening two quarters, but still entered halftime up by a point.
?We didn?t play as well as we had hoped to early on but St. Clements deserves a lot of the credit for the way they played tonight,” said Brown.
Senior center Luc Zikianda (12 points, 12 rebounds) and sophomore guard, Jonny Mercado (nine points) proved vital pieces in the Spartans victory.Bishop Fenwick 75, Manchester-Essex 72
Matt Murphy scored 11 of his 25 points in a fourth-quarter rally to earn MAC Hoop Classic MVP honors while teammate Ryan Veguilla equaled the output in the championship victory over the tournament host Hornets.
Fenwick (4-15) got 16 points and 14 rebounds from Myles Connor who iced the win on a putback, with under a minute to play in the final period, which the Crusaders started trailing by six.
?I couldn?t be any prouder of the way my guys have stuck together throughout what has been a very tough season,” said Fenwick coach John Preziosa, whose team looks to extend its three-game winning streak in Friday?s season finale, hosting Cathedral High of Boston.
Reading 65, Marblehead 63
It was deja vu for the Magicians who yielded 15 three-pointers to their opponents for the second time in as many games with the Rockets this season, the latest coming in the consolation game of the Sheridan Tournament.
Marblehead had three players finish with double-digit point totals in the loss with Spencer Craig (17 points), Cian Saunders (16) and Will Millett (11).
Mike Algeri totaled a game-high 21 points for Reading who defeated the Magicians (10-10) earlier this season in an overtime thriller, 91-86.Beverly 58, Malden 52The Panthers (12-10) wrapped up the regular season in fine fashion, getting 18 points from junior Kyle Coughlin as well as nine points and 10 rebounds from senior Gavin Sparkman.