LYNN— Sometimes the best way to defeat an opponent is by taking the air out of it early in the game. That’s the formula the Classical boys basketball team used to take down Tech, 83-54, on Wednesday afternoon in the opening round of the Boverini Tournament at the Rams’ gymnasium.
Classical’s Edwin Solis led all scorers with 25 points, while Jaylen Johnson tallied 14 points and Erick Solis added 11 points.
“We were hoping to jump on them early,” Classical coach Jasper Grassa said. “It starts with our defense and we try to run off that.”
For Tech, Tre Baldwin scored 17 points and Belmin Berilo finished with 11 points. Qasim Abellard and Rob Wallace each added six points.
The first quarter belonged to Edwin Solis, who knocked home three 3-pointers to back the Tigers into an early deficit. Tech struggled on the glass and hurt itself with turnovers. Classical led 22-8 at the end of the first quarter.
“If Edwin gets an open shot, a good look with time to set his feet, I think it’s going in pretty much every time,” Grassa said. “It’s just about getting him those shots and getting away from him taking quick shots, off-balance.”
Baldwin brought Tech to within nine points with a 3-point play midway through the second quarter. Classical took over from there to build a hefty 48-28 advantage at halftime.
“I told our guys that we were going to have to jump out on Classical,” Tech coach Stevie Patrick said. “We’re in their building. They beat us by 50 last year. They were looking at us like an easy task and if we proved them right, it was going to be a long night. That’s what happened. We didn’t have the energy to beat them.”
Classical didn’t slow down in the second half. Edwin Solis swished a 3-pointer to end the third quarter, stretching Classical’s lead to 67-40 moving into the final period.
With a sizable advantage, the Rams played calm and relaxed in the fourth quarter. The 27-point deficit was too tall a hill for Tech to climb and Classical cruised to the 83-54 win.
The Rams advance to Friday’s tournament final against St. Mary’s. The Spartans rolled past Classical in the opening round last winter.
“St. Mary’s beat us pretty good last year so we’re hoping to get them back this year,” Grassa said. “We’ve seen them play a ton of times. That game’s definitely on our minds still. We’re looking forward to it.”
Tech aims for a win against English Friday’s consolation game.
“This is my second year coaching and I’m 0-3 in this tournament,” Patrick said. “We’re definitely looking for a win. I look forward to coaching against Antonio Anderson, a good friend of mine. I think we can play with English. We both lost tough games and I think it makes for a good consolation game.”
