LYNN — It may have been the first game of the season, but Friday night’s Classical-Somerville boys basketball game had some late-season tension.
The Rams put on a late-game surge to win, 59-53, but the Highlanders, playing their first game as members of the Northeastern Conference, gave Classical a real scare.
“Every time we play them, no matter when it is, up and down, up and down,” said Classical coach Jasper Grassa, who won his first game as the new coach of the Rams.
“I’m glad we could get the win. But it was tough.”
At every key juncture, the game was nip-and-tuck. Both teams got off to a slow start (it was 12-8, Classical, after a quarter), as they had to fight through the usual rust and ragged play of an opener. The shots weren’t falling for either side — a condition that never really went away.
The difference for Classical was Edwin Solis. The senior forward was the only Ram in double figures, with 28 points. Jaylen Johnson, Classical’s second-leading scorer, had eight points.
Somerville had two players in double figures. Senior Lucas Saint-Jean led the way for the Highlanders in the first half and finished with 20 points. And Tyler Whitney-Sidney had 16 — all but one of them in the second half.
“I think last year when we played, it was No. 1 (Saint-Jean) who did all the damage. Tonight it was the other kid. They’re both good,” Grassa said.
Going into the fourth quarter, Somerville had a 40-39 lead. The two teams leap-frogged over one another, matching each other shot for shot. Solis and Saint-Jean traded two 3-pointers each, which left Somerville still up by a point (47-46) with 5:12 to go.
This is where the Rams made their move. After a Somerville miss, Solis was back at the other end with a twisting layup to put Classical in the lead.
St. Jean came back with another 3-pointer to make it 50-48. That was the last time the Highlanders had the lead.
Solis hit another difficult layup to tie the game back up at 50, and then he stole the ball and fed Johnson for a bucket to give Classical the lead.
However, on the play, Solis fell to the floor in pain, and had to be helped off the court. While he was gone, Whitney-Sidney hit one of two from the line, but Jaylen Johnson came back for a basket to put the lead back up to 54-51.
At this point, Solis came back on the floor, swished in a three, and gave Classical a 57-51 edge with a minute to go in the game.
“His calves cramped up,” said Grassa. “He is a huge part of what we do.
“I think at the beginning of last year, he didn’t have that image of himself as being the kind of player who just takes over a game. But I was on him all summer that he had to step up. He did tonight.”
