SWAMPSCOTT — Monday’s boys basketball game between Lynn Tech and Swampscott came down to fouls and free throw shots.
While Tech strung together its runs, 13 missed free throws came back to haunt the Tigers in a 53-46 loss to the Big Blue at Dick Lynch Gymnasium.
“If we hit half of those free throws, I think we win the game,” Tigers coach Stevie Patrick said. “We had a mental breakdown in the fourth quarter. I still have a team that’s learning how to turn the corner. We’re learning what we’re supposed to do but we still haven’t turned that corner yet.”
Swampscott played with the lead for the majority of the second half but the Tigers put the Big Blue on their heels when they came within two points of them halfway through the fourth quarter. Swampscott followed with a crucial 6-0 run to put Tech away for good.
“The intensity was there,” Swampscott coach Jayson Knowles said. “I think the last couple of games we kind of lost it a little bit. We played much better defense, especially the effort. Having Andrew (Augustin) back (from injury) was big. He’s our anchor and our spark plug.”
Cam O’Brien (14 points) started the game with a stepback 3-pointer and converted on an uncontested layup in transition, putting the Big Blue up 5-0 out of the gate. After Augustin (12 points) added a floater, Tech found the board via Malik Purter’s layup off an offensive rebound. Swampscott bumped its lead to 12-2 but foul trouble helped Tech to a 7-0 run. The Big Blue led 16-9 at the end of the first quarter.
With his Tigers in need of a spark, Julian Peralta (12 points) caught fire in the second quarter. Peralta swished three clutch 3-pointers during the period, two of which brought the Tigers to within three points of Swampscott’s lead. Tech took its first lead of the afternoon, 27-26, on Yael Vizcaino’s (13 points) free throw toward the end of the half. At halftime, it was anybody’s game at 29-29.
Back to back baskets from Mehki Cronin (nine points) to open the third quarter gave the Tigers a 33-29 cushion. But Tech’s momentum was short-lived, as the Tigers froze and struggled to find offense over the ensuing stretch. Swampscott wasn’t any more consistent but the Big Blue did just enough to lead 37-35 heading into the fourth quarter.
Clutch baskets in the final minutes guided Swampscott through Tech’s last run. Down 45-43, Tech put itself in position to make things interesting. In the blink of an eye, O’Brien’s corner 3 bumped Swampscott’s edge back to a more comfortable 51-43 and that was more than enough for the Big Blue to seal it.
“Last time we played Tech was a couple years ago and it was the same result,” Knowles said. “We got an early lead and they came back with some 3-pointers and a tough press-defense. But we’re used to that. We play in the NEC. Almost every team runs a similar press so we were able to combat it.
“Our defense is what prevented them from closing that gap in the fourth quarter. We went to the basket hard. We accomplished that goal. I’m proud of the way we handled ourselves when things weren’t going our way.”
Swampscott (5-6) hosts Gloucester Tuesday (7).
Tech (2-8) travels to Mystic Valley Tuesday (5:30).
“We’re not out of it,” Patrick said. “The way we’ve been playing all year, we’re the type of team that can if we do win, we can go on a run and win five or six in a row. The teams that beat us beat us when we were on the road, and they only beat us by minimal points. Now we get a chance to play them at home and we’re usually good when we see a team twice.”
