Tide boys’ basketball falls to Chelsea to snap its six-game winning streak; Girls’ win two to get back on the right track

Boyce’s crew hosts non-league Durfee Saturday night, while the girls get ready to host three games next week to begin new month

By Joe McConnell

After winning six in a row, the Everett High School boys basketball team (7-6) dropped a 69-45 decision to the visiting Chelsea Red Devils on Jan. 22. But prior to that loss, the Crimson Tide knocked off host Malden rather decisively two nights earlier, 56-30.

“We were able to go into Malden and secure another important Greater Boston League (GBL) win,” said coach Gerard Boyce. “We knew (the Golden Tornadoes) would come out fighting, but we stayed discipline, while executing our game plan, which resulted in a solid victory.”

The veteran Everett coach said that his team “has been working on its defensive rotations and communication in practice, and it’s starting to pay off.”

The team started the season slowly on offense, but the coach credits “sharing the ball,” as to one of the reasons for the turnaround. “It’s not about one individual, because it always comes down to a total team effort,” Boyce added, “and in this game against Malden, everyone who stepped on the floor contributed to this win.”

Cristian Vasquez (15 points) and Emmanuel Nelson (12), who sparked the team coming off the bench, paced the attack against Malden. Adam Aitmessaoud also did his part to secure the victory with eight points and eight assists.

It has been nothing but good tidings for the Everett boys since the calendar flipped to 2026, and that included games against Revere (75-38, Jan. 13), Medford (66-51, Jan. 15), Brookline (39-37, Jan. 19) and aforementioned Malden.

Boyce offered these thoughts after the Revere game. “We came into their gym with the goal to disrupt their rhythm,” he said, “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), Aitmessaoud (11) and 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 was 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 year’s 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. He also paced 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 games against Malden and Chelsea, they were scheduled to take on host Lynn Classical on Tuesday, Jan. 27, before Sunday’s snowstorm pushed everything back. But they were still on tap to host Lynn English two nights later at the same time. Non-league Durfee out of Fall River will then trek up to Everett to face the Tide Saturday night (Jan. 31), starting at 5:30 p.m. After that, Boyce’s crew will begin a new month against host Somerville on Tuesday, Feb. 3, at 7 p.m.

Tide girls’ win two to snap losing streak

The girls’ basketball team (4-6) closed out last week with a solid win over host Chelsea on Jan. 22, 57-51.

Sophomore Julianna Rivera led all scorers with 20 points, including knocking down five three pointers, while also grabbing five rebounds. Seniors Katerin Landaverde Vasquez (18 points, 14 rebounds) and Nicole Damaceno (14 points, 13 rebounds) both had double/doubles that helped power the attack against the Red Devils.

“This was the first time in my six years here as a coach that two players (achieved the feat) in the same game,” said coach Riley Dunn.

“We were able to grind out this win against a tough Chelsea team,” Dunn added. “Major credit goes out to the Chelsea girls, who were relentless. Their coach is beginning to build a competitive program, and it’s great to see that growth in this sport among the city schools.”

The win over Chelsea was set up by the decisive victory against visiting Malden on Jan. 20, 50-28, which snapped the team’s four-game winning streak.

Prior to the Malden 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 Dunn. “I was really proud of our relentless effort.”

Landaverde Vasquez produced a double / double against the Mustangs to lead the way 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 versus Malden.

The Crimson Tide was scheduled to go up against non-league Haverhill on the road on Jan. 26, but Sunday’s snowstorm wiped it out. The game the next night against visiting Lynn Classical was also postponed. But they finally got back onto the court against host Lynn English on Jan. 29 after press deadline.

The Everett girls will then begin a new month with three home games next week against Somerville (Feb. 3, 6:30 p.m.), Lawrence (Feb. 5, 7 p.m.) and North High School (Feb. 7, 1 p.m.).