Tide boys’ basketball begins new year with three straight wins to edge closer to .500; Girls fall to host Somerville

Malden is next up for Everett, with the girls hosting the Golden Tornadoes Tuesday night, while the boys face their rivals on the road

By Joe McConnell

The new year has been very good for the Everett High School boys’ basketball team. They have played three games so far in 2026, and won them all against Lynn English (50-48, Jan. 6), Somerville (59-50, Jan.  8) and Revere (75-38, Jan. 13). All of a sudden, the Crimson Tide is almost back to the .500 mark at 4-5.

“We are building a strong program here, and every game, win or lose, is a stepping stone in our growth and resiliency,” said coach Gerard Boyce. “I’m incredibly proud of how the team has responded to some tough competition, in particular last week’s game at Lynn English.”

That game against the Bulldogs “was a huge GBL (Greater Boston League) road win against a very strong opponent in a difficult environment,” added Boyce.

It was a back-and-forth contest, and the Everett coach credits his team’s “mental toughness and composure in the final moments of the game” for that close two-point win.

The Crimson Tide trailed throughout most of the game, but they never let the deficit reach double digits, all because of their defensive intensity. It was the type of result that could benefit them come state tournament time.

Cristian Vasquez was the leading scorer against the Bulldogs with 17 points. Samir King-Dacosta was next in line with 13. Jayden Alsaindor chipped in with 12.

Boyce’s crew carried over that momentum into the home contest against the Highlanders two nights later. They wanted to control the pace of this game through their defensive sets, according to Boyce.

“We set the tone early with aggressive defense, and finding the open shots through effective ball movement,” the coach said.

The Highlanders posed a slight threat midway through the game, but once again the team’s resiliency persevered in the end.

“It was a solid team effort,” said Boyce after the Somerville game, “and the win felt good for team morale, as we continue to gel on the court.”

Alsaindor paced the offensive attack against Somerville with 17 points. Vasquez poured in 13. Emmanuel Nelson accounted for 10. Adam Aitmessaoud was credited with nine, followed by King-DaCosta with seven.

The Tide played host to Medford on Jan. 15 after press deadline, before going to Malden on Tuesday night, Jan. 20, to take on the Golden Tornadoes, starting at 6 p.m.

Girls drop road encounter to Somerville

The Crimson Tide girls’ basketball team (2-4) closed out last week with a road loss to Somerville on Jan. 8, 54-24.

Kat Landaverde Vasquez and Julianna Rivera were the team’s leading scorers against the Highlanders with seven points apiece.

“I was proud of their fight in this game through the final buzzer,” said coach Riley Dunn. “We never quit, and that’s something to be very proud of. We’re going to continue to stick together in order to respond to any adversity with grit and resilience.”

The Everett girls took on host Medford on Jan. 15 after press deadline, before closing out this week at home against non-league Marblehead the next night, starting at 6 p.m. Malden then comes to town Tuesday night (Jan. 20) to play the Tide girls, beginning at 7 p.m. They will be at Chelsea to go up against the Red Devils two nights later, starting at 5:30 p.m.