LYNN — Six teams from six different schools were crowned champions on Saturday in the 47th Annual Lynn Elementary Basketball Tournament.
Kicking off the day were the two-top seeded teams in Division 2 girls play. Top-seeded Ford and No. 2 Callahan were both seeking back-to-back titles as Ford was the D1 champion last year. Ford held a six-point lead at the half, but Callahan played stifling defense in the second half to send the game into overtime. Callahan’s Evelyn Perez (5 points) scored the only basket in overtime to give the Eagles the 14-12 win. Michelle Kollie also had four points for Callahan. Maryluz Cedeno Nunez scored a game-high nine points for Ford.
The Division 2 boys final saw top-seeded Ford vying for its second chip in a row, while No. 3 Drewicz was vying for its first title since 2018. Ford avoided consecutive upsets by taking down the Dolphins, 38-14. Jeremiah Subervi followed up his 35-point semifinal performance with a game-high 36. Omar Kabashi Hasani scored six points for Drewicz.
In Division 3 girls action, No. 3 Lynn Woods made its fourth straight trip to the final – this time, against top-seeded Shoemaker. Lynn Woods was looking to avenge an early-round loss to the Sharks, while Shoemaker was looking to return to its championship ways after a one-year absence. Shoemaker trailed by 10 after three quarters, but cut that lead in half with less than three minutes to play. Unfortunately for the Sharks, it was not meant to be as Lynn Woods’ Tazlie Gallo (13 points) rattled off six consecutive points to seal a 27-13 win. Ava Sadler also had eight for the Wolves. Grace Esohe had seven for Shoemaker.
The D3 boys final saw top-ranked Aborn take on rival and third-seeded Lincoln-Thomson. The Tigers were coming off an emotional win in Thursday night’s semifinal. They took an 11-point lead into the fourth quarter, but Aborn came alive at the right time, going on a 12-0 run to take a one-point lead. Lincoln’s Elias Rodriguez (13 points) scored the last basket of the game, giving his team the upset victory and first championship since 2017. Aborn’s Travyn Scott scored 10 of his game-high 17 points in the fourth quarter.
Division 1 play kicked off with the top-ranked girls from Sisson battling No. 2 Hood. This was Sisson’s third straight trip to the final and it was looking for its first win in as many tries. The Eagles led wire to wire and cruised to a 20-8 victory. Julianna Rodriguez scored eight for Sisson, while teammate Jaylani Rosario chipped in six. Alyha Gonzalez scored six points for Hood.
Saturday’s last game was a battle between top-ranked Harrington and No. 3 Sisson, which was looking to take the crown for the first time since 2015 (2010 before then). In the end, Harrington wiped out a three-point halftime deficit to win, 30-26. Murphy Nkem Jr. was effective on both ends, scoring a game-high 14 points for Harrington. Liam McMahon delivered another strong game for Sisson with 12 points, while Kingston Spain scored eight.
