LYNN — Classical boys basketball coach Marvin Avery and his team have had their struggles this winter. But Monday night’s home loss to Medford has to be a real lowlight.
“It’s right up there,” said Avery, after the Rams fell, 54-41, to the Mustangs in a game Medford controlled from the middle of the first quarter on.
“We came out smoking, and I thought we were going to have a real good ballgame,” said Avery. “But I have to give (Medford coach John Skerry) credit. He made some key adjustments. He took our best players out of the game, and we have a lot of inexperience on our team and we didn’t respond well to it.”
On the other hand, Classical, after sprinting out to a 7-0 lead to start the game, couldn’t handle Medford’s top-two players; Anthony Teixeira-Kruger torched the Rams for 27 points —16 of them in the first half. And when Teixeira-Kruger began to cool off, that’s when Owen Kelly started heating up. He finished with 13 points, 11 in the second half.
For Classical, only Jadden Gonzalez hit for double figures, with 11 points. Three Rams, Brady Warren, Almani Medina and Tyler Wilson, had six.
Gonzalez (3-pointer), Derek Omoregie and Marquise Avery opened up with basketball for Classical and it looked as if the Rams would be in business. But Medford quickly got back into it thanks mainly to Teixeira-Kruge, who had 12 of Medford’s 14 first-quarter points.
With Classical up 15-14 after a quarter, the lead teetered back and forth for most of the second period. Kelly joined Teixeira-Kruger in the scoring column in the second period and remained a factor throughout the rest of the game. By halftime, the Mustangs had gained the upper hand, 24-23.
Medford made its move in the third quarter, closing it with an 11-0 run, and, extending into the fourth period, made it 15-0. By then, it was 45-31.
“It’s been a difficult season,” said Avery. “But you know how sports go. It’s up and down, peaks and valleys. This one would have to be a low, though.”
Classical (6-9) is at home Wednesday against Everett for senior night.
