It was a packed house for the final game of day one of the Walter Boverini City-Wide Boys and Girls Basketball Tournament where Lynn Classical faced off against Lynn Tech. The Rams emerged victorious in a closely-contested matchup at Classical High on Tuesday, 50-44.
The Rams were led by Marvin Avery Jr. (18 points) and Almani Medina (17 points). Giovanni Jean (12 points) and Ederick Gonzalez (11 points) led the Tigers.
Both Tech and Classical have young squads, and at times, age showed. Both teams turned the ball over several times, but Classical had one big run that was enough to catapult the Rams to victory.
“When we get on runs like that, it is our forte,” Classical head coach Marvin Avery said.
The first quarter was end-to-end and played at a high pace. The Rams got out to a 15-11 lead, but right before the buzzer sounded, the Tigers scored a layup to make it 15-13 after the opening quarter.
The second quarter is when the first signs of youth showed for the Tigers, and the Rams went on a 13-0 run to take a 10-point lead with just minutes remaining in the quarter. Classical not only knocked down shots, but forced several turnovers.
“They put some pressure on the guys. Between our guards and big men, pretty much everyone was turning the ball over,” Tech head coach Corey Bingham said. “I felt like they sped us up. They made us play their game and not our game.”
With Classical speeding up, it overwhelmed the Tigers who got into foul trouble. Classical shot 11 free throws in the second quarter, and the Rams led by nine going into halftime.
Tech came alive thanks to its 2-3 zone defense, forcing Classical turnovers and clawing its way back.
“The man [defense] was not working. We sat back in the zone and tried to make them make some shots,” Bingham said.
The Tigers slowly cut down the Rams’ lead, but in the midst of a 6-0 run by the Tigers, Avery Jr. hit a big three pointer to swing momentum back in Classical’s favor.
“He [Avery Jr.] is a great player. Great players make great plays, and he did that,” Bingham said.
Coach Avery said his team was expecting Tech’s defense to adjust.
“We knew they [Tech] were going to change things up. We just had to utilize our athletes well,” Avery said in reference to Tech’s 2-3 zone.
The future looks bright for both teams, but Tuesday, Classical made the most of its chances and left with the win.
Both teams will be back in action on Thursday. The Rams will face English in the championship game at 4:30 p.m., and the Tigers face KIPP in the consolation game at 1:30 p.m.
