LYNN — Over the last few years, Lynn Tech head coach Corey Bingham has looked to make his home-court a fortress. From the DJ to the rumbles of the student section, you could say it’s a tricky place to play.
Such was the case Tuesday evening as Tech (7-7) took down KIPP Academy, 61-50, to extend its winning streak to five games.
“It’s really hard to come into this place and win,” said KIPP coach Moody Bey, whose Panthers fell to 9-6.
When the programs faced off earlier this season, Bingham said his team didn’t match KIPP’s physicality, which led to the Panthers beating the Tigers.
Tuesday: different story.
“On this five-game streak, we’ve been the most physical team,” Bingham said. “Most importantly, our identity – all over people – ball pressure, being all over the place, and creating havoc has been key.”
Bey tended to agree postgame.
“The tougher team won tonight. They did a better job than us on the boards,” he said. “They’re really resilient on the defensive boards and they hit timely threes.”
The Tigers got out to a strong start, leading 18-7 after the first quarter. However, the Panthers clawed back to create a six-point halftime deficit (28-22) after a last-second layup from Trosky Peña.
“We don’t flinch or back down. We keep going, no matter the score. They threw some haymakers tonight – just like the first game. We didn’t flinch, we fought until the end, and I think that’s one of the high points I want to take from this game,” Bey said. “There were a bunch of times when we could have pulled away from each other and instead, we pulled closer. We didn’t get the result tonight, but it’s something we can build on.”
The Panthers tied the game, 42-42, to close the third quarter. But with the game knotted, Tech guard Brandon Antwine drilled two threes to swing momentum back to the hosts.
“Brandon is our glue guy. When he gives us points, it’s almost like extra for us. The guys believe in him, which helps his confidence,” Bingham said. “It really shows the true testament of the hard work Brandon puts in. He’s one hard-working kid.”
Not only did Antwine (12 points, 4 steals) hit three triples in the fourth quarter, but his defense helped keep KIPP’s guards at bay. Antwine drew an illegal screen midway through the fourth quarter, which had the Tigers’ faithful on its feet.
After another Antwine three, Tech led 56-44 with 2:01 remaining. From there, Giovanni Jean made plays down the stretch to close things out. He finished the game with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Peña led the Panthers with 25 points.
Bingham also praised his two big men, Ulices Diaz (7 points, 10 rebounds) and Johan Plaza, who scored four points but made numerous effort-plays.
“We came out early with Lynn Tech intensity, trying to get steals and create havoc and get easy buckets from offense to defense, and I feel like we did that in the first two quarters,” Bingham said. “In the third quarter, they came out with more intensity. We silenced their run and then pulled away in the fourth.”
KIPP looks to bounce back and pick up its 10th win of the season at Lowell Catholic this Friday at 6:30 p.m. Tech eyes a six-game winning streak when it hosts Greater Lowell Tech at 6 p.m. the same night.
