LYNNFIELD — Oscar Robertson once said “if you’re a basketball player, you’ve got to shoot.” Nobody had to tell that to anyone the Lynnfield or Triton boys basketball teams Monday in a 65-63 double overtime win for the Pioneers.
The teams combined for 19 3-pointers. Zach Shone and Billy Arseneault knocked down two each for the Pioneers. In the end, it was a couple of pure hustle plays that turned the game in the Pioneers’ favor.
With the game tied at 60-60 and three minutes left in the second overtime, a sloppy possession nearly cost the Pioneers but Jason Ndansi fought for a loose ball and forced up a shot to beat the shot clock. Matt Mortellite (13 points), battled three Triton players for the rebound but couldn’t convert a contested layup attempt. It was deja vu for Mortellite as he hauled down another offensive rebound and got fouled on the layup, converting the second free throw to put the Pioneers ahead for good, 61-60, with 2:52 to play.
A minute later, after Triton missed the front end of a 1-and-1, Shone rimmed out a shot, but Mortellite was johnny on the spot once again, grabbing the rebound and feeding Arseneault, who calmly drained a 3-pointer to stretch the Pioneers’ lead to 64-60 with under a minute to play. Undaunted, Parsons drained his fifth trey of the game to make it a one point game again, 64-63, with 42 seconds to go.
Lynnfield turned the ball over on its next possession, giving the Vikings 20 seconds and a chance to run out the clock and win the game, but the Vikings heaved up an airball on a 3-pointer. Dan Jameson (7 points) and Ndansi battled to prevent Triton from saving the ball to give the Lynnfield possession. Shone was intentionally fouled on the inbounds play and converted the second free throw to make it 65-63 with 7.6 seconds left. Tight defense on the Vikings’ final possession forced a long three to seal the win for Lynnfield.
Lynnfield coach Scott MacKenzie said it’s the little things that kids like Mortellite do that make a big difference.
“I’m not surprised that it was Mort making those plays, it’s always Mort, he is scrappy and he is super competitive,” MacKenzie said. “He’s not the smoothest kid but he’s an athlete and he just always seems to come up with big clutch plays in big moments.”
Triton shut down Arseneault, holding him to just 12 points. Shone stepped up with 24 points. He carried the offense in the third quarter with nine of the Pioneers’ 18 points, helping to turn around a one point halftime deficit, 28-27, into a 5-point lead after three, 45-40.
“I thought it was a good game plan by them,” said MacKenzie. “They wanted to run two guys at Billy all night and we kept reminding the guys that we have four other dudes and a 4-on-3 with kids like Zach and the others who can make plays. Zach is one of those kids who is just a professional offensive player and he showed that tonight.”
Lynnfield got off to a sluggish start and trailed 7-2 with a little more than two minutes to go in the first quarter. Jack Ford knocked down a three to cut the deficit to 7-5 with 1:55 to play. Triton ran off five straight to close the quarter with a 12-7 lead.
Jack Cleary sparked an 8-0 Pioneer run in quarter No. 2. He drained a quick 3-pointer and after a bucket by Mortellite, the Pioneers were tied, 12-12. On their next possession, Cleary grabbed an offensive rebound and fed Arseneault for a trey to give the Pioneers their first lead of the game, 15-12.
Triton responded with a 16-7 run to lead 28-22 with 1:02 left in the half, but Lynnfield closed the half with a 5-0 run on a three by Jameson and bucket by Ndansi after he grabbed a board off the offensive glass to send the Pioneers into halftime trailing by one, 28-27.
Lynnfield outscored Triton 18-12 in the third, but struggled in the fourth with only seven points, including a Shone freebie, to tie the game at 52 all with 3.3 seconds left.
“We had a good run, were up by seven in the third, but the bench made some big shots,” said MacKenzie. “Jack Ford did a nice job and both he and Cleary hit big threes.”
Triton went on a 6-0 run to start the first overtime, which Lynnfield matched to force a second OT. A Shone putback and Jameson backdoor layup, off a pretty feed from Arseneault, closed the deficit to 58-52. Then Jameson cooly knocked down two free throws to tie the game at 58-58 with 1:04 left to force a second overtime.
