Saugus’ comeback ends Swampscott’s season

SAUGUS — The heart of the Saugus High basketball team was on display Tuesday against Swampscott.
Saugus outscored Swampscott by 27 points over the final 26 minutes to cap off a comeback win, 76-67, in the opening round of the MIAA Division 3 North tournament. No. 8 seed Saugus now advances to play top-ranked Greater Lawrence on Friday night.
“Swampscott is extremely well-coached and played great,” said Saugus coach Paul Moran.
The game was especially challenging, Moran explained, since his son, Matt, plays for Swampscott.
Swampscott (7-14) gained entry into the tourney through the MIAA?s Sullivan Rule, which states that if a school plays 70 percent or more of its schedule against schools in a higher division, that school needs only to play .500 or better in games in its own division to qualify for the state tournament.
The Big Blue proved they deserved the opportunity. Swampscott blitzed Saugus to open the game, jumping to a 22-4 advantage as Dajour Dunkley (23 points, seven rebounds) and Brandon Byrne (11 points, six rebounds) each knocked down a slew of jumpers.
“We jumped out to a quick lead, but ran out of gas at the end,” said Swampscott coach Dave Born. “But congrats to Saugus, and I’m very proud of my kids.”
Saugus (10-11) trailed, 22-8, after the first quarter. The Sachems slowly chipped away, and pressured Swampscott into 13 first-half turnovers.
“We showed a lot of fight,” said Saugus senior Justin Winn (four steals, five rebounds). “There was never a thought of quitting. We battled and fought to the end.”
Swampscott brought a 37-26 advantage into the half, but Saugus’s press made the Big Blue work for every basket.”The difference was our defensive intensity,” said Moran. “We wore them out.”
Saugus’s trapping on the defensive end completely disrupted Swampscott. The Big Blue exerted so much energy advancing the ball that they failed to capitalize on short jumpers throughout the second half. Saugus was also far more aggressive attacking the basket, taking 42 free-throw attempts to Swampscott’s 24. The catalysts for the Sachems’s attack were two seniors, Dan Cacciola (15 points, 15 rebounds) and Lamarr Jones (19 points, six assists).
“We came back behind the energy of the crowd,” said Cacciola. “There’s always a fight in us and we never give up.”Jones led the attack on both ends of the floor, and his 13 second-half points helped turn a one-point deficit entering the fourth (51-50) into a nine-point victory.”We weren’t going to end our season like that, especially not at home,” said Jones. “We showed tonight hard work pays off.”