LOWELL — Lawrence couldn’t have found a worse time to have its worst quarter of the season.
Missing lay-up after lay up and free throw after free throw, the second-seeded Lancers watched a two-point deficit after three quarters blow up in the fourth quarter as top-seeded Everett ran away with a 68-56 victory in the Division 1 North finals at the Tsongas Center.
“We have to give credit to Everett,” Lawrence coach Ramond Nunez said. “They were playing in this game because they’re a great team. They’re well coached and we were competing against them. You have to give them credit for their defense and they’re offensive execution.”
Playing in its first North final since 2011, Lawrence opened the game unable to find the basket, converting only four of its 17 first-quarter shots.
“I just mentioned that there were no words I could say or any of my assistant coaches could say to take away the pain of the loss of this game,” Nunez said. “But throughout the year, they’ve represented themselves well, the city, themselves, their family and their school. We couldn’t thank them or appreciate them more.”
After falling behind by 11 only 5 minutes into the game, Lawrence rallied in the second quarter behind Christian Kinsley and Juan Felix Rodriguez, who combined for 11 in the second quarter to forge a 30-29 halftime advantage.
Not only did Kinsley nail three three-pointers in the half, but also held Everett’s 2,000-point scorer Ghared Boyce to 7 in the half.
But Boyce was not to be denied in the second half, scoring 10 in the third quarter and 21 of his game-high 28 after intermission.
“Coach told me to keep being aggressive, so I got to the line and got to the basket,” Boyce said. “And we finished on defense to win the game.”
Lawrence (21-3) trailed 43-41 entering the fourth, but the Crimson Tide (23-1) scored the period’s first 11 points to take a 54-41 lead. Boyce scored 10 of Everett’s first 12 points in the quarter.
The Lancers, meanwhile managed only a Chris Ruiz drive with 5:02 remaining during the first six minutes of the crucial fourth.
But Everett’s defense was the story, holding down the explosive Lancers, who averaged 74.0 points in their previous two tourney games.
“We played great defense,” said Everett coach John DiBiaso, who won his 500th career game last week to go along with his 304 football victories. We worked as a team. We asked a couple guys to cover (Luis Reynoso, 6 points) and (Juan Felix Rodriguez, 11 points). We alternated guys on them, and they did a great job.”
Ruiz led the Lancers with 14 points, while Kinsley added 12 and Rodriguez 11.
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Boys Basketball, 03/10/18 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars
NORTH ANDOVER — It wasn't home, but it sure felt that way for the Lawrence High boys basketball team.
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Boys Basketball, 03/07/18 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars
LAWRENCE — Luis Reynoso knew that something was right. He just felt good for some reason.
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Boys Basketball, 03/04/18 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars
LAWRENCE - Luis Reynoso knew that something was right. He just felt good for some reason.
"Even from being down (in the locker room) before the game, I just felt it," said the 6-foot-4 Lawrence High junior.
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Boys Basketball, 03/04/18 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars
LAWRENCE — Juan Felix Rodriquez wasn’t smiling when he stated he and his Lawrence teammates definitely will improve.
And that type of resolve should alarm any of the possible five opponents in Lawrence’s road to a possible Division 1 state basketball title.
With the Rodriguez leading the way with a season-high 37 points, the second seeded Lancers made short work of No. 15 Andover on Tuesday night, running away with a 75-55 victory in the first round of the Division 1 North sectional.
Often times the road to the North finals or at least semis is a relatively easy one for a powerhouse like Lawrence.
Not this year.
The win sends Lawrence (19-2) into the quarters, where they will play host to No. 7 St. John’s Prep on a date to be announced. In late December, the Prep downed the Lancers 97-92 in OT in a Commonwealth Motors Christmas Tourney semifinal classic.
“We just wanted to win,” said Rodriquez, who was 10 of 16 from the field. “There were people talking about how we were going to lose, and that got us motivated to keep going.
“We need to work hard and get better as a team. Of course, we can get better. We just have to trust ourselves.”
The Lancers, who have won 10 straight while averaging 77.3 points in that stretch, took the lead for good at 4-2 on a Rodriguez putback 48 seconds in. The lead was 10 by the end of the first period and when Chris Ruiz nailed a step-back three-pointer 79 seconds into the second quarter, the Lancers led by 15.
“A lot of it was (Lawrence) might say forced turnovers, but I might say unforced turnovers,” said Andover coach David Fazio, who’s squad committed 10 of its 17 turnovers in a first half. “It was just turnovers and uncontested layups on the other end. On the board (in the locker room) we put down five keys and (all five) were take care of the ball.”
Rodriguez, who had 20 at intermission, wasn’t the only Lancer feeling it. Luis Reynoso and Chris Ruiz each contributed nine points in the first half as Lawrence converted 16 of its 28 field-goal attempts.
“The guys have said all year, that once we have the energy, we rebound and defend,” Lawrence coach Raymond Nunez said. “That gets us out on the break and really helps the guys out. Defense is the key, and the guys know it and have mentioned it.”
That was evident in the third quarter after Andover closed to within 11 points. The Lancers forced turnovers on three consecutive Golden Warrior possessions resulting in two Reynoso fastbreak layups and another by Ruiz.
“We knew we needed to come out of the box fast, and we just didn’t make shots or make plays,” said Fazio, whose club finished 11-11 including the Christmas Tourney loss to St. John’s (the MIAA doesn’t count that). “Their speed and athleticism make them pretty talented kids.”
Andover did cut its deficit to nine on a Colin Kirkpatrick three early in the fourth, but Lawrence made four of its first six shots in the frame to once again open its advantage to 22 at 75-53 with 3 minutes remaining.
Andover senior Cedric Gillette scored a team-high 16 points while Kyle Rocker and Kirkpatrick added 12 and 11, respectively.
Ruiz finished with 18 and Reynoso chipped in 13 as the Lancers’ Big 3 combined for 68.
Now the Lancers look to finish off St. John’s Prep (16-5) in a way they couldn’t at the Commonwealth Motors Christmas Classic, when the Eagles rallied from eight points down with just over 3 minutes remaining to force overtime. The Prep defeated Malden 81-64 in Tuesday action.
“It’s going to be one practice at a time; one game at a time,” Nunez said. “We have to take care of the smaller things when it comes to defending, rebounding and ball movement on the offensive end.”
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Boys Basketball, 02/27/18 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars
Lawrence downed Methuen 78-56 to put the finishing touches on its regular season. The MVC Division 1 champs are 18-2 heading into the postseason while the Rangers are 12-8. Juan Felix Rodriguez led the champs with 27 and Dante Rivera led Methuen with 26.
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Boys Basketball, 02/22/18 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars
LOWELL — Looking to secure at least a share of its first conference title since 2007, Lawrence didn’t mind working overtime Tuesday night. Actually, the Lancers had no choice in the matter.
After trailing by as many as 18 in the second half, Lawrence didn’t even the score with Lowell until 35 seconds were left in regulation. The Lancers didn’t take their first lead until more than a minute had elapsed in overtime.
But with Juan Felix Rodriguez and Jaden Castillo scoring Lawrence’s final 11 points, the Lancers capped off their furious rally for a 75-72 victory over the Red Raiders. The win secured at least a share of the Merrimack Valley Large Division title.
A win over either Haverhill or Methuen will clinch the regular-season crown.
“We haven’t been in that position too many times,” Lawrence coach Raymond Nunez said of the large deficit. “But I think it’s a great position to be in going into the States. It shows what the group of guys has within them.
“And doing it against a quality and talented team like Lowell, who has been tough in the MVC and the state of Massachusetts, is a good sign for us.”
The Lancers (12-1 conference, 16-2 overall) looked overmatched as Lowell turned an 8-point halftime lead into an 18-point advantage fewer than two minutes into the third. The Red Raiders (11-3, 14-3) controlled the boards in the stanza, grabbing 11 offensive rebounds in the period.
“That’s one of the things we’re going to have to improve,” Nunez said of the discrepancy that resulted in Lowell taking 20 more shots than Lawrence during regulation. “We came out with a victory, but we know there are things we must improve. And I think the guys understand that.”
Lowell took a 65-52 lead with 5:40 remaining, and a minute later, the Lancers began the comeback. Five consecutive points by Chris Ruiz sparked a 15-2 run capped on a scooping layup by Rodriguez for a tie at 67 with 35 seconds left.
Alex Rivera’s two free throws put Lowell back up with 19 seconds remaining. But a Lowell foul sent Castillo to the line, where he had converted each of his first eight to that point. The junior calmly added two more with 9.1 seconds left to force the extra frame.
“I’ve been in that position before, but it was way, way back in eighth grade,” said Castillo, who finished with 15 points. “It just felt the same. It was easy, and I didn’t feel any pressure. That’s it.”
A three-point play 61 seconds into OT on a driving layup by Rodriguez not only gave Lawrence its first lead, but one it would not squander.
“My teammates told me to take the ball and they trusted me,” said Rodriguez, who had a game-high 22. “So, that’s what I do. I listen to them ... I always thought (we could come back). We wanted that win, and we won it.”
Castillo added a free throw while Rodriguez, last year’s Eagle-Tribune MVP, had another drive while Lowell was missing its final five field-goal attempts.
“They started coming up with the 50-50 balls,” Lowell coach Bob Michalczyk said. “We let them back into it with a couple mental mistakes here and there. And (the Lancers) made their free throws.”
Win One Baby
Lawrence has to win just one more game to win the MVC Large outright:
Date Opponent
Friday, Feb. 16 at Andover
Thursday, Feb. 22 host Methuen
Lawrence 75, Lowell 72 (OT)
LAWRENCE (75): Juan Felix Rodriguez 10 1-1 22, Cristian Kinsley 0 0-0 0, Jaden Castillo 2 11-12 15, Sebastian Dilone 0 0-0 0, Luis Reynoso 6 5-5 20, Chris Ruiz 5 1-1 11, Miguel Camacho 2 1-2 7, Angel Vasquez 0 0-0 0. Totals 25 19-21 75
LOWELL (72): Carlos Nunez 4 0-0 11, Justin Villanueva 4 1-1 9, Alex Rivera 4 9-10 19, Jaren Cruz 3 0-0 9, Marvin Kimani 0 0-0 0, Nathan Siow 2 1-2 6, Ty Chan 5 0-1 11, Daiquan Durham 0 0-0 0, Deven Okowuga 3 1-2 7. Totals 25 12-16 72
3-pointers: LAWRENCE: Reynoso 3, Camacho 2, Rodriguez; LOWELL: Nunez 3, Cruz 3, Rivera 2, Siow, Chan
Lawrence (12-1, 16-2): 15 10 18 26 6 — 75
Lowell (11-3, 14-3): 23 10 22 14 3 — 72
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Boys Basketball, 02/13/18 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars
METHUEN — Chris Ruiz and sixth-man Miguel Camacho each scored five points in the final 2:20 to power visiting Lawrence to a tougher-than-expected 69-63 victory over Methuen on Tuesday at the Klimas Field House.
The Lancers (8-1 Merrimack Valley Conference, 12-2 overall) overcame four technical fouls, including three in the fourth quarter, en route to the win.
“The ref wasn’t being with us, so we had to step it up,” said Ruiz, who scored 16 of his team-high 21 after intermission. “In the fourth quarter, that’s what counts. So, we just went out there and played our hardest. This will (show us) we have to play hard from the start.”
After scoring a mere eight points in the second quarter, Lawrence turned a halftime tie into a 47-42 lead entering the final stanza.
“That just gave us more motivation to play harder,” Camacho said of the anemic second quarter when the Lancers struggled against Methuen’s 2-3 zone defense.
A pair of threes by Ruiz and two free throws by Luis Reynoso powered the Lancers to a 55-49 lead with 6 minutes remaining.
Methuen (5-4, 7-6) countered with four free throws following two Lancer technicals and a three by Dante Rivera and another trey from Angel Mejia. It was a pair of baskets by Jhamyl Fricas that provided the Rangers their first lead (56-55) since a 5-4 early advantage.
The teams traded leads again on a put back from Lawrence’s Juan Felix Rodriguez and two more technical tosses by Rivera, who finished with a game-high 25.
But a high-looping layin off the glass by Camacho gave the Lancers the lead for good, 59-58, with 2:20 left. Camacho added a three before Ruiz scored the next five for Lawrence.
“We just needed to play harder on defense, and keep our energy up,” Camacho said. “We have to stay together as a team, and we’ll get the good wins like we just got.”
Methuen twice cut its deficit to two down the stretch on a layin from Nick Clark and a baseline three from Evan Hardy that made it 65-63 with 20.7 seconds left. But two Ruiz free throws and a put back by Reynoso finished off the Rangers.
“There are no moral victories,” Methuen coach Anthony Faradie said. “I think we left it all out on the floor. I’m proud of the guys. We haven’t maybe played consistently well all year, but I think we played real well tonight against a high-powered team.”
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Boys Basketball, 01/30/18 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars
LAWRENCE — Luis Reynoso caught a pass breaking towards the paint, split two defenders, and surged to the basket for a massive two-handed slam dunk in traffic which sent the crowd into hysterics.
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Boys Basketball, 01/26/18 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars
Upset-minded Billerica led Lawrence, 20-19, after a quarter but Luis Reynoso was just getting warmed up. The Lancer junior erupted for an area-leading 39 points, including 14 in the final quarter, in the 97-77 win. Reynoso hit 14 field goals and 10 free throws as the Lancers lit up the scoreboard. Chris Ruiz added 22 points and Juan Felix Rodriguez had 20.
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Boys Basketball, 01/23/18 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars
