LYNN — Either the Lynn English or Lynn Classical girls basketball teams were going to end up winning the Greater Boston League title in their first year in their new conference.
It’ll be English.
The Bulldogs scored a thrilling 51-49 win over the Rams Tuesday night at the Classical gym in a game that featured first a frantic Classical comeback and then a resolute effort by the ‘Dogs to pull ahead and stay there.
“The title’s ours,” said English coach Travonne Berry-Rogers. “No tie. No split. Ours. It feels good to win a league title in my first year as head coach. That was always our goal. We wanted to come into the season and we wanted to win a title.”
The game, which had so many highs and lows as it is, packed its best one for the final act: a coast-to-coast drive to the hoop by co-captain Rosie Chheang.
“No strategy,” said Berry Rogers. “Just get a basket, man. That’s all. I’ve trusted my captain all year. Big players make big plays in big moments.”
Before English could claim victory, the Bulldogs had to withstand a furious second-half comeback by Classical. Nothing was going right for the Rams in the first two quarters while everything was falling for English. And by halftime, it was 32-20.
And when Matty Laurino (team-high 14 points) sank one of her four three-pointers, English had a 12-point lead early in the third quarter. Those would be the last points English would score in the quarter, though. Classical ran off the next 14 points, which took the Rams into the fourth quarter with a 40-37 lead.
“Shots we weren’t making we began making in the third quarter,” said Classical coach Tom Sawyer. “We made it all the way back. We even pulled ahead.
“This was such a great night,” he said. “Obviously I wish the outcome had been different, but from where we’ve all been in the last two years we had people in the seats and it was loud.
“I was proud of our girls the way they came back,” he said.
Central to the spurt were Reese Brinkler and Lauren Hennessey, each of whom scored four points. Lauren Wilson had three en route to finishing with 11.
But the new quarter seemed to give English some life. Laurino had a two, followed by a three, to put English ahead, early in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs would never trail, although, once again, Classical caught up to them in the final minute.
Along the way, Makenzie Acevado (11 points) hit a conventional three-pointer to make it 46-40, English. Ava Thurman (team-high 14) hit a free throw, but Amara Flores knocked home a three to make it 49-41, Bulldogs.
Then, Classical took over once again. Wilson hit one with 3:29 to go, followed by baskets by Hennessey and two by Amara Brown (6 points) to tie up the game at 49-49 with a minute to go.
Each team had a miss before Chheang took the ball the length of the court for the final bucket.
English raised its record to 13-2, while Classical fell to 11-4.
