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Daniel Salvo netted five 3-pointers, including three straight in the fourth quarter, to give Salem boys basketball a lead. Salem outscored Pinkerton 25-12 in the fourth quarter and won 64-57. 

Ben Slepian opened the game with three straight 3-pointers on his way to a game-high 21 points as Salem dumped Memorial, 59-46. Steady Jonny Klecan chipped in nine points, seven assists and five rebounds for the Devils.

Chris Dunn hit four 3-pointers in a personal 12-0 run in a span of 2:54 in the second quarter to lead Andover over stubborn Salem, 61-53, in the 5th-place game. Dunn, a junior, finished with 19 points and six treys. Sam Dowden also had 19 and James Costello chipped in with 10 points and two dunks, one a jaw-dropping, two-fisted slam. Sharpshooter Ben Slepian led the Blue Devils with a game-high 21 while Jonny Klecan and Dan Salvo netted 10 apiece. Salem trailed by just 2 with 3:27 left but Costello and Dowden took over down the stretch.

Ben Slepian was on fire from behind the arc, driving Salem's second-half offensive explosion en route to a 64-42 consolation round triumph over Greater Lawrence Tech.

Slepian (game-high 16 points with four 3-pointers) triggered a 22-8 third-quarter run with a pair of 3-balls to turn a five-point battle into a rout.

LAWRENCE — North Andover harassed Salem into some poor luck and poor shooting in a 51-31 win on Day 1 of the 37th annual Greater Lawrence Christmas Tourney. North Andover’s swarming defense was led by Colby Smith, who on a couple of occasions left some skin on the Lawrence High gym floor. “His hustle is contagious,” said North Andover coach Mike McVeigh. “When you see another kid do it, you think, we have to do it. He puts everything into it.” It wasn’t Salem’s night. In the first quarter, the Blue Devils had back to back shots lodge between the rim and the backboard. North Andover (2-0) advanced to Wednesday’s semifinals vs. Lawrence, which whipped Greater Lawrence 69-43 in Game 1 of the tournament. Salem (1-3) got off to a rocky start, trailing 15-2 early in the second quarter. But the Blue Devils impressively regrouped. Joseph Dube and Daniel Salvo confidently nailed late jumpers and Salem cut the margin to a very workable 23-17 at the half. Ben Slepian’s corner trifecta cut it to 23-20 and the Knights appeared to be in trouble early in the third. The hosts answered with an Isaiah Nelsen hoop, a Zach Karalis steal and dunk and a Brendan Miller floater. Nelsen’s corner three with two seconds left in the third pushed the lead to a comfortable 38-22 margin. Karalis, as is usually the case, was the best player on the floor with a game-high 18 points (3 of 4 on 3-pointers), 5 assists and 4 steals. Miller, a 6-2 sophomore, came out on fire, scoring the game’s first seven points and finishing with 13. “We were bigger and more experienced, but they made it tough,” said North Andover coach Mike McVeigh. Karalis had some problems with a box-and-1 defense but eventually got rolling. “He just opens up things for everybody else,” said McVeigh of the returning Christmas Tourney All-Star and Eagle-Tribune All-Star. Miller, who was already dunking last year, had to pay his dues as a freshman. He obviously learned his lessons well and is opening eyes this season. “He has a great attitude. He’ll just get better and better,” said McVeigh.