LYNNFIELD — Both the Lynnfield girls and boys basketball teams enjoyed successful seasons, with each team qualifying for the state tournament. That said, some games stood out among the rest.
The boys finished the regular season with a 14-6 record. When asked what his favorite game was, head coach John Bakopolus said the victory against Newburyport towards the end of the season.
“I thought it was the best we played all year,” Bakopolus said. “Our kids responded really well in the game [and] I think it was our best win of the year.”
For Lynnfield, it had been five years since it beat Newburyport.
“It was our second-to-last game of the year [and] we haven’t beaten Newburyport since 2018,” Bakopolus said.
Newburyport has been dominant in the Cape Ann League, and Bakopolus acknowledged how tough they can be.
“Newburyport won the CAL Large division and they had won the at Large for the last four or five years running,” Bakopolus said. “They won a game in the Division II tournament; they are a really talented team.”
Talk about a tale of two games. The Pioneers faced Newburyport early on in the season. Lynnfield was defeated by 30, but when the teams met again, the Pioneers won by double digits 55-42.
The girls not only qualified for the state tournament, but won their opening game against Southeastern RVT. Despite the win, when asked what her favorite game of the season was, head coach Sue Breen pointed to their buzzer-beater win against Ipswich in early February.
“Ipswich had the lead and we tied it up with about three seconds left off a basket from Jaelynn Moon,” Breen said. “Bella George stole the inbound pass and got the ball to Ava Gamache who didn’t hesitate and made the basket.”
Before the play, Breen was just hoping for overtime.
“They called a timeout and I was just hoping they would not hit some miraculous shot and end the game,” Breen said. “It never even crossed my mind that we would win the game right then and there. It was incredible.”
“All the kids stormed the court and hugged Ava,” Breen said. “They even knocked me over as they were celebrating.”
Other than enjoying the buzzer-beater, Breen admired how the Pioneers had 14 assists on 20 made baskets. Another thing Breen liked about her team was the fact that it never gave up.
“They don’t quit. Sometimes we don’t shoot the ball well or we’ll go down early, but they just keep battling until the end,” Breen said.
Although both teams were eliminated from tournament play, those ones won’t be leaving their memories any time soon.
