LYNN — In the championship game in the Walter Boverini City-Wide Boys and Girls Basketball Tournament, the Lady Rams were crowned champions against the Bulldogs 50-35 at Classical High on Thursday.
The tournament’s Most Valuable Player award was given to Classical’s Lauren Hennessey, who scored 15 points in the championship game. Hennessey was consistent from beyond the arc, while also facilitating well with her floor vision.
Senior guard Ava Thurman contributed with 13 points for the Lady Rams. The Bulldogs were led by Matty Laurino (10 points) and Jari Perez (six points) in the physical, intense matchup.
“Any time Lynn English and Lynn Classical girls basketball play each other, you know it is going to be a hard fought game,” Classical head coach Tom Sawyer said.
Classical started the game on a 11-0 run – and a swarming zone defense – which stifled the Bulldogs’ energy. Classical capitalized on its defense, scoring easy transition points off English turnovers.
“I think nerves did play a big role,” Bulldogs head coach Travonne Berry-Rogers said. “We didn’t have [that] bust of energy that we should have had from our players, which was unfortunate.”
If there was one thing Sawyer was going to bring to the game, it was his energy. Sawyer paced up and down the sidelines, exerting just as much energy as his players were.
“My job is to bring energy to the gym too. To help these kids, I will do whatever I can to help them win,” Sawyer said. “If I’m energetic, then it helps them on the floor.”
Not only did the Lady Rams find extra energy from their coach, but also from the home fans who made themselves heard after each basket. The Lady Rams went into halftime leading 24-16.
“It was our [English] first time being in this atmosphere [and] being in the championship game,” Berry-Rogers said.
Though the Bulldogs were down all game, they kept chipping away. Sawyer knew English would not quit and eventually make a run – he was right. English started the fourth quarter on a 7-2 run thanks to a big three pointer from Matty Laurino (10 points) to cut the lead to seven.
“We knew they [the Bulldogs] were going to make a run. When we called that last timeout I said ‘here it [the run] comes, it is going to come down to how we respond,’” Sawyer said.
Similar to prior runs made by English, it was halted by a big three pointer from Hennessey, her fourth of the night.
“When a team is making a run, and the energy is building in the gym, and the momentum is building against you, the only way you really stop it is to hit a shot. To her [Hennessey] credit, she hit a couple. That was enough for us to get over the hump,” Sawyer said.
With Hennessey hoisting the MVP trophy and the Rams defending their home court, another year of Boverini action came to a close.
Mark Aboyoun can be reached at [email protected]
