MARBLEHEAD — Monday evening’s game between the Marblehead and Swampscott boys basketball teams belonged to Magicians senior forward Derek Marino.
Needing 33 points to reach 1,000 for his career, Marino finished with a game-high 36 in a 71-54 win over visiting Swampscott on Marblehead’s senior night. Marino’s the eighth player in school history to reach the milestone and the first male since Chris Buchholtz did so in 1985.
“I just tried to get my open shots and not force anything,” Marino, who committed to play football at Bates College, said. “We had to get the win first. I was kind of on so I kept shooting. My teammates were great. They knew what was going on. They took shots when they needed to and they helped me out a ton.”
“He needed 33 coming into tonight,” Magicians coach Mike Giardi said. “We told ourselves that we’d push for it a little bit if he got near it. The way the offense was going, it wasn’t out of sync and he had 19 points at the half. We kept our best players on the floor because Swampscott’s the type of team that can go on a run.”
Magicians seniors Seamus Keaney (12 points), Dan Doherty (8 points) and Dewey Millett (8 points) also made key contributions.
Andrew Augustin led Swampscott with 14 points. Jackson Byrne scored nine and Jake McIntire added eight.
“It’s a tough challenge for a young team,” Swampscott coach Justin Fucile said. “Losing can be a difficult obstacle. The attitude has been great. The seniors support the freshmen. We have two sophomores and a freshman who’ve played a ton this season and this gives them the experience they need to become leaders.”
The Magicians ran out to a quick 8-2 lead behind a pair of 3-pointers from Marino and Keaney. Swampscott stayed within six points of the Magicians, thanks to a trio of baskets in the paint from Augustin. Marblehead finished the quarter on a 6-0 run, highlighted by Keaney’s layup at the buzzer. Marblehead led 22-10 after one.
The Marblehead lead stretched into the 20’s in the second quarter but the Big Blue did just enough in hitting timely baskets to keep it a game. David Coleman and Jake Goldman each hit a 3-pointer in the period. The Magicians led 43-26 at recess.
Marino knocked in the first two baskets of the third quarter to put the Magicians ahead 47-26. He added another bucket and a pair of free throws, and Keaney provided a highlight with a long-range 3-pointer. The Magicians led 58-36 after three.
“I think the second half was a big positive for us,” Fucile said. “I didn’t think we showed up with the intensity we needed for a rivalry game in the first half. We did a much better job in the second half. We did a better job moving the basketball and finding opportunities to score.”
The fourth quarter began with a jump shot from Marino, giving him 31 points for the night. Needing two points to crack the milestone Marino swished a 3-pointer from the top of the key to join to the 1,000-point club.
“It was amazing,” Marino, a three-year varsity starter said. “It was a huge goal in my life. I’m speechless.”
From there, the Magicians finished the 71-54 win.
“It’s huge for the whole program,” Giardi said of Marino’s accomplishment. “That’s the first time we’ve had a 1,000 point scorer here since 1985. If you asked us back in our first go-round in 2001-2002 whether or not we’d have a 1,000 point scorer here, I wouldn’t think so. He’s a great athlete and he really worked hard this year.”
Marblehead (12-8) visits BC High Wednesday (5:30) before awaiting the state tournament pairings. Swampscott, which qualified for states under the Sullivan Rule, finishes at 3-17 for the regular season.
After the win, Giardi applauded his seniors for their efforts throughout the season.
“Dan, Seamus, Dewey and Derek are the four seniors that start for us,” Giardi said. “The other guys that don’t (start): Skylar Chardon, Will Brooks, Sam Bernstein and Teddy Mayle, they’re four guys that grind it out every day in practice. They make our guys work harder and they make us a team.”
