Basketball: Sachem boys back on winning track

  The Saugus High School boys’ basketball team lost its first two contests when the season resumed after a three-week layoff due to the recent COVID-19 surge. It appears the Sachems have gotten themselves back on track after scoring three straight wins beginning with a 54-49 home win over Essex Tech last Thursday.

  Against Essex, Ryan Mabee exploded for 25 points and teammate Tyrone Manderson reached double figures with 15. Jeury Barbosa added nine in the win. Saugus went on to score an even bigger 63-60 home victory over Marblehead last Friday.

  Manderson had a monster outing against the visiting Magicians by producing a double-double effort of 22 points and 14 rebounds. He wasn’t the only Sachems player to come away with a double-double performance on the night. Two others achieved the feat. Guard Ben Tapia-Gately poured in 10 points and dished out 10 assists while Jeury Barbosa collected an identical 10 points and 10 assists to go along with six boards. Also getting into the scoring act was Mabee: He netted 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds.

  The Sachems put on their defensive shoes on Tuesday when they traveled to take on the Danvers Falcons. Manderson was the driving force once again on offense, producing 18 points in a low-scoring 47-39 victory. Tapia-Gately aided the cause by scoring 14, and Mabee was the other Sachem in double figures with 11. The threesome combined for all but four of Saugus’s points for the night. Still, it was enough to fend off the host Falcons, who were unable to reach the 40-point plateau, as Saugus put forth perhaps its best defensive effort of the season.

  The 6-2 Sachems hosted Masconomet on Thursday (after press deadline) and play Peabody at home on Friday. The Sachems continue a busy stretch of games when they travel to Manchester-Essex next Monday and Gloucester next Tuesday.