EHS boys edge North on Senior Night
The Everett High boys basketball team celebrated Senior Night in appropriate fashion with a 47-40 victory over North High of Worcester Monday evening.
Everett led from the outset and held leads at all of the quarter-markers, 16-12, 26-21, and 36-31. However, the Tide never could quite put the visiting Polar Bears away, and a seven-point run by North late in the fourth quarter brought the game back to level, 40-40, with 2:33 to play.
It was at that point that senior captain Cristian Vasquez decided to take matters into his own hands at both ends of the floor. Cristian made a nice cut underneath on an inbounds play and finished it off with a strong move to the bucket to give Everett a 42-40 lead with 1:44 to go.
Vasquez then made steals on North’s next two possessions and, with less than a minute to go, coolly sank five-of-six clutch free throws down the stretch when he was intentionally fouled — thereby accounting for all seven of Everett’s points in the final 1:44 — to seal the victory.
Vasquez led Everett in the scoring column with 19 points and junior Jayden Alsaindor reached double figures with 18 points.
“Our boys put together a gritty performance to secure a 47-40 win over a tough Worcester North squad,” said EHS head coach Gerard Boyce. “Coming off a difficult stretch, I was proud of the way our guys locked in defensively to hold Worcester to 40 points.
“We saw continued leadership on the floor, building on the strong offensive performances we’ve had recently from guys like Cristian Vasquez and Jayden Alsaindor. It was a total team effort to get back into the win column,” Boyce continued.
“This win brings our season record to 10-7 and it’s the kind of momentum we need as we head into the final push of the schedule,” added Boyce.
Last Tuesday, the Tide dropped a 54-45 decision to Greater Boston League (GBL) rival Somervlle.
“This game was a wake-up call for us,” said Boyce. “Give credit to Somerville; they came out hungry and played with a level of intensity we didn’t match early on.
“To be honest, I think we were guilty of looking past them and didn’t have our focus where it needed to be,” continued Boyce, whose Crimson Tide had defeated the Highlanders in their first meeting, 59-50, and were tied for third place with Somerville in the GBL entering the game. “In this league, if you aren’t mentally locked in from the jump, you’re going to pay for it. We let our guard down, and it showed in our execution.
“We’ll use this as a lesson that we can’t take any opponent for granted if we want to get to where we’re trying to go. It’s on to the next game,” Boyce added.
The Crimson Tide, who stand at 10-7 overall and 7-4 in the GBL, need one more victory to assure themselves of the .500 record needed to punch their ticket for a Journey to the Tourney.
They were scheduled to play at GBL foe Medford yesterday (Tuesday) and will host GBL rival Revere tomorrow (Thursday) evening at 7:00.
They will travel to non-league opponents Newton South next Tuesday and to Beverly next Wednesday before wrapping up their regular season next Thursday at Lynn Classical.
EHS girls fight hard vs. Somerville
The Everett High girls basketball team came up on the short end of a 60-41 decision to first-place Somerville, which is undefeated in the Greater Boston League, last week
Kat Landaverde Vazquez led Everett in the scoring column with 11 points and pulled down seven. Casey Martinez hit for nine points and made four steals.
Although her team fell short on the scoreboard, EHS head coach Riley Dunn was pleased with her team’s effort on the court.
“Despite the score, we overcame adversity and stayed relentless until the final horn buzzed,” said Dunn. “We had teammates step up. Ashley Heath got her first start of her varsity career and played with incredible hustle on defense and composure on offense.
“We played great team basketball for two quarters,” Dunn continued. “We just needed to build our legs to play a complete game. There was a lot of great stuff within those four quarters, so we will build from there. We continue to get better.
“I am so proud and fortunate to coach this group,” added Dunn. “I know that tomorrow’s practice they will be ready to adjust what we need to, take coaching, and prepare to get a bounce-back win. Having athletes who are coachable and mentally-tough through the challenges is a gift.”
Dunn and her crew, whose contest this past Saturday afternoon with North High School of Worcester was postponed, were scheduled to meet Medford last night (Tuesday) that will be highlighted by Senior Night festivities.
The Lady Crimson Tide then will hit the road to Revere tomorrow (Thursday) evening, to Lynn Classical Friday evening, and to Haverhill on Sunday before returning home to host Gloucester next Tuesday, Lynn Classical next Wednesday, and North next Thursday. All of those home games will tip-off at 1:00 PM.