LYNN — Before Lynn Classical’s girls basketball game against Chelsea, the Lady Rams (10-4) honored five seniors on Senior Night. You could say it was the perfect game for them, as all five players scored in a 59-40 win.
The five seniors honored were Jada Tejada, Evelyn Diaz, Yarilenny Ruiz, Deleisha Perez-Vazquez, and Jayliana Wesley.
“We started the game with five seniors on the floor and we ended the game with five seniors on the floor. I’m really proud of this senior group,” said coach Tom Sawyer. “They’ve been with me for four years. They’re exactly what you want in a high school student-athlete. They take care of business in the classroom and they’re good members of the community and they’re good basketball players. I’m happy for them that we’re able to get a win on Senior Night.”
The Lady Rams jumped out to a 12-4 lead and dominated Chelsea on the offensive glass, leading to second- and third-chance opportunities.
When Chelsea did collect a rebound, it struggled to advance the ball against Classical’s defense and tenacity.
“With this group, the work rate and effort has always been high — they play hard,” Sawyer said. “If they see an opportunity to get a steal in the backcourt, we always say that players make plays. If they see something they think they can make, we want them to go for it. If it works out great, if it doesn’t, but you’re going 100 percent, we’ll live with whatever the results are.”
The Lady Rams led 20-9 after the first quarter and extended their lead to 34-19 at halftime.
Leading the way was Diaz, who netted (team-high) 14 points Wednesday.
“She’s just a great kid. She’s respectful and tries hard. She gives everything she’s got at all times,” Sawyer said. “From a basketball-skills standpoint, she’s improved so much from last year to this year. I’m really proud of her.”
In the third quarter, Chelsea went on a 7-2 run, leading to a Classical timeout.
From there, the Lady Rams picked their games up. The backcourt duo of Tejada (11 points) and Aliyah Alvarado (11) dictated the pace, while Divine Egbuta (13) dominated the boards and controlled the paint.
“We kept our composure. They’ve got some really good players, so you know you’re not going to hold them down for the entire 32 minutes of the game,” Sawyer said. “We called a timeout just so we could catch our breaths. We made sure that we stayed composed and they did.”
A deep corner shot by Perez-Vazquez (4) extended Classical’s lead to 53-34.
The Lady Rams host Everett Friday at 6 p.m.
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
