Tide boys’ basketball extends winning streak to six; Girls end drought against

Everett hoop teams will go up against both Lynn clubs next week, looking for more positive results

By Joe McConnell

It appears that the only thing that the Everett High School boys’ basketball team (7-5) needed was a fresh start in the new year. There’s no denying that fact after the Tide rattled off six straight wins, when the calendar flipped to 2026, which included the last four games against Revere (75-38, Jan. 13), Medford (66-51, Jan. 15), Brookline (39-37, Jan. 19) and Malden (56-30, Jan. 20).

All of this winning has the Crimson Tide moving up in the Division 1 power rankings. As of Jan. 20, and before the win over the Golden Tornadoes, they were ranked 31^st in a division that encompasses 66 teams statewide.

Coach Gerard Boyce’s squad traveled to Revere to begin last week with a dominating win over the Patriots. “We came into their gym with the goal to disrupt their rhythm,” said Boyce, “and the boys executed that game plan perfectly. Holding a team to 38 points is a testament to the discipline and communication that we’ve been preaching in practice.”

The Tide stayed aggressive in their lanes, forced difficult shots and controlled the boards to limit Revere’s possessions. “When we play defense with that kind of intensity and focus, it fuels our entire game,” said Boyce. “I was proud of how we locked-in and stayed committed to protecting the basket throughout all four quarters. That intensity is what we need for the rest of the season.”

Jayden Alsaindor was the scoring leader against Revere with 15 points. Emmanuel Nelson was close behind with 13, followed by Samir King Dacosta (12), Adam Aitmessaoud (11) and Cristian Vasquez (10), who rounded out the double-digit scorers.

The Tide then came home to power past the Mustangs two nights later. “This was a statement win,” said Boyce. “It showed just how much this group has grown since the start of the season. We are finally playing the brand of Everett basketball that we are capable of playing.”

Once again, the veteran Everett coach singled out the team’s defensive intensity against a club that has been playing good basketball. He knew that his squad couldn’t let them get too comfortable, and as a result the home team controlled the tempo early on, while also moving the ball exceptionally well.

Aitmessaoud was the star of the show against Medford with 16 points, six assists and four steals. Alsaindor was also effective in this win over Medford with 14 points, seven rebounds and five steals.

Boyce said after this game that the momentum is clearly on Everett’s side, but that they are certainly not satisfied. They enjoy each win for a few hours, before moving on to the next opponent, which was Brookline in the Hoop Dreams Magazine Winter Classic at Boston’s Cathedral High School on Martin Luther King Day. Westwood, Charlestown, Weymouth, New Bedford, Bridgewater-Raynham and host Cathedral were the other teams in this Classic.

It wasn’t Everett’s highest scoring game of the season, but they still got the job done against a solid Brookline foe to extend the winning streak to five. “Our defense was the difference in this game,” said Boyce. “We were able to execute when it mattered the most.”

The coach singled out Dacosta-King for his leadership in this game after pacing the offensive attack with 14 points. Nate Nelson came off the bench to score 10 points. Vasquez accounted for seven points, followed by Alsaindor and Aitmessaoud, who chipped in with six and two points, respectively. Each one of these points was critical in this close win.

“Every point mattered in this game,” said Boyce. “We knew it was going to be a battle, and with that in mind we preached execution and focus. The energy was great, and the communication was there, and as a result we were able to get this big win.”

Following the win over host Malden Tuesday night, the Everett boys closed out the week against visiting Chelsea on Jan. 22 after press deadline. They are then scheduled to take on host Lynn Classical on Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 7 p.m., before coming home to face Lynn English two nights later at the same time.

Tide girls snap losing streak

The girls’ basketball team (3-6) broke a four-game losing streak Tuesday night, when they defeated visiting Malden going away, 50-28.

Prior to the win, the Tide lost to host Medford, 48-33 on Jan. 15. “It was a battle throughout the entire game, but we just ran out of steam in the end,” said coach Riley Dunn. “I was really proud of our relentless effort.”

Senior Katerin Landaverde Vasquez produced a double / double against the Mustangs with 15 points and 15 rebounds. “(Landaverde) continues to make an impact in each game,” Dunn said.

Casey Martinez also did her part to keep the offense moving with six assists.

The Everett girls came right back home after the loss to get ready for non-league Marblehead the next night. However, the Magicians out of the Northeastern Conference topped them, 54-36.

“The effort and hustle have always been there for us during this losing streak,” said Dunn after the loss to Marblehead. “I’m definitely proud of our resilience to keep on fighting, but we still need to be more competitive.”

Julianna Rivera led the way on offense against Marblehead with 16 points. But the team’s continued hustle finally paid off four nights later against aforementioned Malden.

Following the game against host Chelsea on Jan. 22 after press deadline, the Crimson Tide will be going up against non-league Haverhill also on the road on Monday (Jan. 26), starting at 6 p.m., before coming home to take on Lynn Classical the next night. They will then face host Lynn English Thursday night to close out next week. Both of those games will also begin at 6 p.m.