LYNN — The Lynn Classical boys basketball team got its 2021 season off to a good start as the Rams defeated the Somerville Highlanders 53-27 on Tuesday evening.
Senior Jadden Gonzalez ended the night with 17 points and two assists to lead the way, while sophomore Marquese Avery had 10 points and five rebounds.
“The kids played hard,” said Lynn Classical coach Marvin Avery. “I’ve got nothing but respect for Somerville, so to open up with a nice win like that, I can’t thank my team enough for playing hard.”
Classical started the game on a 7-0 run behind some stellar play from Gonzalez, who tallied five points in the opening quarter. The senior was lights out from behind the 3-point line and got the Rams off to a fast start.
After the first quarter concluded with the Rams boasting a 13-6 lead, Classical continued to dominate play. Their high-pressure defense caused problems for the Highlanders who turned the ball over quite often. The Rams were able to turn the quality defense into easy points on the fast break.
Classical ended the game causing 20 turnovers, and Avery was pleased with the work of his defense.
“I think our defense did a great job,” he said. “Our press creates a lot of havoc. We can go big, small, speed, we have some pretty good outside shooters so we can open things up and the overall message is that defense wins ball games.”
Gonzalez continued his great shooting, as he ended the game as the Rams’ leading scorer. Brady Warren also found success from behind the 3-point line with six points in the first half.
The second quarter concluded with the Rams up 35-14 on the scoreboard. The Highlanders were no match for Classical’s high-energy defense, which continued to cause fits for Somerville.
In the third quarter, Classical’s offense slowed down as it only scored seven points, but the intensity on defense was still there. While Somerville had plenty of opportunities on offense, it was only able to wrangle four points.
With a large 42-18 lead, Classical was able to coast through the final quarter en route to the victory.
The Rams are now 1-0 and face Chelsea on Thursday (5:30).
