Crimson Tide boys basketball ends January with two straight wins; Girls beat Lynn English to extend winning streak

Everett hoop squads celebrate Senior Day during Saturday’s tripleheader against non-league Worcester North

By Joe McConnell

After seeing its six-game winning streak snapped by Chelsea, the Everett High School boys basketball team (9-6) got back on the winning track right away with home wins over Lynn English (64-58, Jan. 29) and non-league Durfee (75-57, Jan. 31) to end the month of January needing just two more wins to clinch a Division 1 state tournament berth. They are currently seeded 33^rd, according to the Feb. 3 power rankings.

Jayden Alsaindor was the leading scorer against the Red Devils with 16 points. But overall, coach Gerard Boyce said that it was a “tough night” for his team, who lost at home to their longtime Greater Boston League (GBL) rivals, 69-45.

“We showed some life early on in the third quarter to cut into the lead, but Chelsea then went on a 10-0 run, and we couldn’t recover from it,” said Boyce. “Credit to Chelsea, they executed better than us, and while this (loss) hurt, it was definitely a wakeup call.”

Sure enough, the Everett boys listened to their coaches, much to the chagrin of Lynn English and Durfee.

“After the tough outing against Chelsea, I’m proud of how our guys reacted to it,” said Boyce. “We stayed composed under pressure and were locked-in defensively late in the game to secure the win (over Lynn English).”

The third-year Everett coach added that Lynn English is a “gritty team, but we executed when it mattered most to protect our home court. It’s now back to work to keep this momentum going into the final stretch of the regular season.”

Cristian Vasquez paced the offensive attack against the Bulldogs with 22 points. Alsaindor was next in line with 14.

The Crimson Tide went from this win to welcoming non-league Durfee to Everett for a Saturday night game, and Boyce was thrilled by his team’s approach against the Hilltoppers.

“We showed mental toughness in this game,” he said. “We preached selfless basketball, and the guys responded with a balanced attack.”

Vasquez led the offense once again with 20 points. Samir King-Dacostawith poured in 14. Alsaindor stepped up under pressure to account for 12 points.

“Having three players in double figures is exactly the kind of offensive synergy we need as we continue to push forward,” said Boyce. “But defense is still our foundation.”

The Tide still has seven games left on the regular season schedule, including the Senior Day game against non-league Worcester North on Saturday, Feb. 7, at 4 p.m. It will follow the girls varsity game also against Worcester North at 1 p.m., and the JV boys game at 2:30 p.m. The Everett boys and girls seniors will be honored for their contributions to the respective programs throughout the last four years prior to the 4 p.m. clash. The boys also went up against host Somerville on Feb. 3 after press deadline, before Saturday’s tripleheader.

Girls silence the Bulldogs

The Everett High School girls basketball team (5-6) rattled off three straight wins to get back into the state tournament picture against the likes of Malden (50-28, Jan. 20), Chelsea (58-51, Jan. 22) and Lynn English (60-35, Jan. 29).

In the game against the Bulldogs, the entire team stepped up and contributed offensively. “It’s always great to have these types of games, as we continue to build momentum, while heading into the second half of our Greater Boston League season,” said coach Riley Dunn.

Sophomore Julianna Rivera was the team leader against English with 19 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Senior captain Kat Landaverde Vasquez also played a pivotal role in this game with 18 points and six rebounds.

Senior captain Nicole Damaceno impacted the game with her tenacity on the boards. She pulled down a career high 20 rebounds, while also dishing out one assist and picking up two steals.

Casey Martinez continues to distribute the ball very well after racking up six assists, four rebounds and two steals against the Bulldogs.

After the game, Dunn singled out Ashley Heath for coming up with “big minutes” in this decisive win. Heath also successfully sank her two free throws.

The Everett girls took on Somerville (Feb. 3) and Lawrence (Feb. 5) at home earlier this week after press deadline, before their aforementioned non-league home encounter against Worcester North on Senior Day, Saturday, Feb. 7.