LYNN — The Lynn Parks and Recreation All-Girls Summer Basketball League wrapped up its first year of existence Thursday evening with its semifinal and championship games outside at Marian Gardens.
“I think it’s really been a great first year for us,” said league organizer Mackenzie Charles, who is also the coach of the English girls basketball team. “This year for everyone was really about growing and getting better everyday, and the girls who really committed to this league did that. So I’m really proud of that.”
The league started as a piggyback league from the Lynn Parks and Recreation Summer Basketball League, which wrapped up its season last week at Marshall Middle School. While it’s smaller than its big brother league at the moment, the all-girls league is hoping to continue to grow in the coming years.
“We’d love to get more age groups and grow out the middle school section a little more, but that will all come with time,” Charles said. “We had a really good first year, and some of the girls will spread the word and things will grow from there.”
And as always, Charles wanted to thank the numerous sponsors and volunteers who helped make the league possible.
“I couldn’t do all of this by myself, that’s for sure,” Charles said. “I’m so grateful to everyone who chipped in to help, whether it was sponsoring a team or taking score of doing the clock. Every little bit helps, and I really appreciate everyone who contributed.”
As for the action on the court Thursday, the semifinal round got going with a matchup between Xtreme Silkscreen and Camacho Customs. Behind a 10-point performance from Matty Lauriano, Xtreme Silkscreen earned the 29-23 win to move on to the championship game. Also playing well for Xtreme Silkscreen were Jean Gupton (seven points), Yaya Soto (four points) and Makenzie Acevedo (four points). Camacho Customs was led by Maylin Echevarria and Nakayla Espinal, who each scored seven points in the loss. Skyler Crayton added six points, while Amber Crayton had three points.
In the other semifinal game, Antonio Anderson Skills Academy earned a nail-biting 25-24 win over Lorraine M. Gately School Committee. Nia Sams and Sailor Brinkler each had six points to lead the way for Antonio Anderson Skills Academy, while Jessica Ruiz (four points) also played well. Kylia Reynoso led Lorraine M. Gately School Committee with 13 points, while Achan Woi had five points and Kiara Edmonds had four points.
In the championship game, it was Xtreme Silkscreen that took home the title with a 41-25 win over Antonio Anderson Skills Academy. Elysse Newson scored 10 points for Xtreme Silkscreen, while Gupton had seven points. Acevedo and Soto each had four points. Jarielis Perez led Antonio Anderson Skills Academy with seven points, while Rosie Chheang and Ravyn Rapley each had six points.
