LYNN — It’s rare when the first few minutes of a basketball game decide it, but Thursday evening at KIPP Academy in Lynn, host coach Moody Bey thought that was the case.
In his team’s 64-55 loss to Lowell Catholic, the visiting Crusaders led 10-0 just four minutes into the first quarter.
“Slow start,” said Bey, whose Panthers dipped to 5-10. “I think we lost by nine. To spot them 10 points to start the game and have to come from behind, that’s a really hard game to win. I think it’s a different game if we don’t spot them that run.”
The action was fairly even from that point on – just look at the final score – but no matter how close KIPP came, Lowell Catholic, 8-9, kept its lead intact.
“They’re a well-coached and well-balanced team,” Bey said. “Their supporting cast is really impressive on any given night. They show up and make plays.”
That they did, but so did KIPP, which went on a 12-4 run to close the first quarter.
In a game full of turnovers and whistles, KIPP’s Trosky Peña played controlled basketball during the run and scored six first-quarter points.
“Trosky, Tolu (Abosede), and Viccee (Howard) as our backcourt, they rise to the occasion and rise to the challenge,” Bey said. “It may not always show up for them in the stats, but I’m super proud of the way they play.”
But the play of the first quarter – and game – came from Caleb Dior, who threw down a monster, one-handed dunk on a fastbreak.
Wednesday night, Bey asked Dior, “What do you think your job is?”
“He’s a great athlete,” Bey said. “He was a little confused… but I told him his job is to be the best athlete on the court.”
Mission accomplished. Better yet, the highlight was a product of his defense.
“The dunk didn’t come from him being super skilled,” Bey said. “It came from him working hard on the defensive end.”
After a 14-12 deficit after one, the second and third quarters also belonged to Lowell Catholic, which led 50-39 heading into the fourth.
“They’re super hard to scout,” Bey said. “They don’t run plays; they make plays.”
Talk about a spark off the bench. KIPP’s Ryan Damian did just that in the second half, connecting from downtown three times in the fourth.
All of Damian’s triples were taken without hesitation. When asked about his team’s willingness to shoot the ball, Bey said a confident environment is something he tries to create.
“I don’t think I’ve ever told any of my kids that it’s a bad shot. I want my kids to be confident,” he said. “The last thing I want is my players second-guessing themselves. Every shot they take, they work on in practice.”
But in the end, KIPP couldn’t keep a physical, tall Lowell Catholic team down.
Taking positives from a negative, other KIPP highlights included a steal-and-score layup from Peña, an emphatic block from Bior at the rim, and a few soft floaters from Howard.
“When we play hard and play five guys as one, there’s not a team we play in which I think we’re outmatched,” Bey said.
KIPP hosts Greater Lowell at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
