Basketball Pats basketball drops road games at Lynn Classical, Lynn English

By Dom Nicastro

The Revere High boys basketball team endured another challenging week on the road, falling to Greater Boston League rivals Lynn Classical and Lynn English as it continues to navigate a young roster and demanding early-season schedule. The team is 0-3 after three.

Coming off a tough overtime loss to Arlington Catholic in the season opener, the Patriots traveled to Lynn last Tuesday to face Classical, looking to steady themselves defensively and keep the game within reach. Offense proved hard to come by early, as Revere managed just six points in the first quarter and trailed 20-15 at halftime.

Junior guard Adnane Amimme accounted for much of the early scoring with a pair of floaters in the lane, while senior tri-captain Devin Berry added a putback off an offensive rebound. Revere increased its defensive pressure in the second quarter, creating transition opportunities for sophomore Charles Dobre, who finished twice on the break, and junior forward Nico Cespedes, who scored inside.

Classical seized control coming out of halftime, opening the third quarter with a run that pushed its lead to 14 before Revere could respond. Junior forward Lucca Albano provided a bright spot, scoring six points on strong drives to the basket during the quarter. Cespedes finished with nine points and eight rebounds, while Berry, senior guard Joseph Carlo and senior captain Nick Rupp also contributed, but Revere was unable to close the gap in a 51-30 loss.

“I just thought once we got down 10–12 points we hung our heads instead of pushing back and the game got out of hand from there,” Revere coach David Leary said. “The first-half defense was encouraging, but our turnovers offensively led to the big scoring disparity. We have a lot of work to do to improve, but I’m confident these boys will put in the work.”

Two nights later, the Patriots returned to Lynn to face Lynn English and showed a noticeably sharper start. Berry led the early charge, scoring eight of his 14 points in the first quarter on two free throws and a pair of strong finishes in the lane. Dobre added three fast-break layups as Revere trailed just 14-13 after one, despite a late English three-pointer.

Revere’s offense stalled in the second quarter as Lynn English extended its defense and forced turnovers, but the Patriots stayed within striking distance behind continued effort on the boards. Dobre, Albano and junior forward Bryan David each scored, with David converting a three-point play, as Revere went into halftime down 27-20.

The Patriots put together their strongest stretch after the break. Berry scored six more points in the third quarter to finish with 14 points and seven rebounds. Dobre added a fast-break basket, Cespedes finished a putback and free throws, and David and senior forward Jadrian Sanchez chipped in as Revere cut the deficit to one, trailing 38-37 heading into the fourth.

The final quarter turned into a defensive battle, with baskets coming at a premium. Revere received scoring from Berry, Dobre and Albano, while David delivered a strong performance inside, finishing with nine points and 11 rebounds. David’s two late baskets trimmed the lead to three with just over a minute remaining, but Lynn English capitalized at the foul line down the stretch and hit a key 3-pointer to seal a 56-47 win.

“I thought we played with more spirit on both ends of the floor,” Leary said. “We are going to have to win games this year with our defense, our rebounding and taking care of the basketball. We had too many turnovers again, which gave Lynn English more opportunities to score, and I think that was the difference in the game.”

The Patriots will host their annual holiday tournament beginning Monday, Dec. 29, with East Boston facing Stoneham at 3 p.m., followed by Revere against Malden at 4:30 p.m. The consolation game is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 30, at 3 p.m., with the championship game to follow at 4:30 p.m.