SAUGUS — Saugus hosted Lynn Tech Monday night in an epic rematch that didn’t disappoint. Earlier this season, the Tigers edged the Sachems in overtime 62-61. But in round two, the Sachems got revenge, winning in overtime 70-64.
Saugus was down six entering the fourth quarter, and no matter how many times Tech went on a run, the Sachems always had an answer. The Tigers’ Ederick Gonzalez (nine points) got the Tech supporters on their feet after a strong layup, plus the foul. After making the free throw, Gonzalez showed his presence on the defensive end with a block, and took the ball 80 feet before dishing it off for an assist to give the Tigers a 10-point lead.
The Sachems didn’t quit. After a Saugus timeout from head coach Joe Bertrand, Ben Tapia-Gately (19 points) made a transition three-point shot. Isaiah Rodriguez, on the next possession, stole the ball from the Tigers and dished it to Max Anajjar (16 points) who got fouled and made both free throws to cut the Tigers’ lead to five (55-50).
“I told the team – good teams find a way. They didn’t give up. They kept working hard,” Bertrand said. “We didn’t let their runs bother us; we just played our game.”
Both teams were in the bonus with 2:30 left in the fourth quarter, and it came down to free throws. The Sachems were perfect at the line with both Anajjar and Josh Osawe (19 points) making a pair in the final minutes.
Tech was up 61-58 with less than a minute left and had two free throws to ice the game – but missed both.
With 14 seconds left, Saugus senior forward Chris Flynn hoisted up a deep three and hit nothing but net to tie the game at 61, erupting the home supporters.
“He’s a good shooter. I keep telling him, if he’s open, to shoot it. He missed a couple but he made the one that counted,” Bertrand said.
Both teams had an opportunity to win it in regulation, but the Tigers traveled with two seconds left, giving Saugus one more chance. A beautiful play got Osawe open for a layup at the rim, but it rimmed out, giving the crowd some free basketball.
“We just turned the ball over too much,” Tigers’ head coach Corey Bingham said. “ We have to give credit to Saugus’ defense. They pressured us and we turned it over.”
Both teams were cold to start overtime with both missing their first two shots. Tapia-Gately made one of two free throws to give Saugus an early lead 62-61.
One play that boosted the crowd was when Anajjar missed a three pointer, tracked down the rebound, and made a layup as he was falling to the ground to give the Sachems a 66-61 lead with 41 seconds left.
After Anajjar’s basket, it was up to Saugus to make its free throws. Both Anajjar and Rodriguez iced the game for the Sachems, and the win was solidified.
In the first half, Tech controlled most of the game. Both defenses – for the majority of the first quarter – lived up to expectations, making life difficult for the other side. With a couple minutes left in the first, the Tigers found some life on the offensive end thanks to Andy Batista (22 points), who went on a 7-0 run by himself.
“That’s what Andy does. He’s an all-around great player. He got it going for us. He kept us in the game, he kept us alive. That’s big for a freshman to do that in this type of atmosphere,” Bingham said.
Despite the loss, Bingham believes playing in this type of environment will help the Tigers come playoff time.
“Saugus did a great job filling the crowd and filling the gym to make it hard for us. Nothing was easy,” Bingham said. “It’s a great learning experience for the players and coaching staff.”
