At approximately 6:30 p.m. on Friday evening, both the Lynn Tech (2-0) and KIPP (0-2) girls basketball teams were energized as can be. When it was all said and done, Tech escaped with a 42-24 win on the road.
A pair of sophomores impressed on each side. Engelyz Bingham was the hero for Tech, scoring 21 points and making her presence felt from the opening tip-off. For KIPP, Sky Delacruz led the way with nine points.
Delacruz got things started on the scoreboard, barrelling down the court before finishing with her left hand. After a layup through a swarm of Tigers, followed by a short jumper, she scored the first six points of the game.
Facing an early deficit, Tech head coach Kaitlyn Weschler called a timeout. The result: five straight points. Bingham banked in a mid-range jumper, then Aliyah Volquez connected on a corner three.
“Just a reminder to relax and settle down. Throughout the course of the game, things are not going to go our way and it’s okay,” Weschler said. “We just have to keep playing our game.”
KIPP led 8-7 after one. Katrina Fortez was effective physically, forcing multiple Tech turnovers with her positioning and strength.
In the second, Tech made the highlight reel right away. Lesnee Izaguirre hustled for chasedown block, leading to Bingham converting on a layup, plus the foul, at the other end to give her team the lead.
In a back-and-forth affair, the game was tied 12-12 with 3:53 remaining in the second after a much more energized quarter from Tech.
It didn’t stop there. Volquez finished a layup through traffic, then Izaguirre knocked down a three with no hesitation. The Tiger faithful roared after the mini 5-0 run, and the halftime score favored Tech 17-15.
“When we see our opening, we have to take it,” Weschler said. “They’re aggressive on offense. They’re allowed to be because they play such hard defense.”
The third quarter began with toughness. KIPP’s Genesis Evbenaye got hit in the eye, but responded with a block shot just moments later to provide a spark.
Bingham went back to work for Tech, scoring four of her team’s first six points in the third, never losing confidence after missing a few jumpers. And after several minutes that felt more like a track meet with lots of fastbreaks, Bingham beat the third quarter buzzer after an offensive rebound to put Tech ahead 24-21.
In the fourth quarter, Elibette Rodriguez impressed at the charity stripe for the Tigers, not hitting rim on four consecutive free throws.
With 6:24 remaining, Bingham made the big shot, dancing around a screen before drilling a step-back three to extend Tech’s lead to 32-21.
Another highlight of the quarter was when Volquez stole the ball in the backcourt and finished at the rim to complete the play.
“We just talked about how defense, defense, defense is going to win us the game,” Weschler said.
Offensive rebounding and finishing were the difference-makers, and Tech ran away with a 42-24 victory to move to 2-0 on the season.
Tech returns to action on Dec. 27 against Lynn Classical at 3 p.m., while KIPP returns home on Monday to take on Rockport at 6:30 p.m.
