Basketball Pats split GBL matchups, eyes postseason

By Dom Nicastro

The Revere High School boys basketball team split a pair of games last week and stood at 5-7. The team was ranked 55^th in Division 1 as of last Friday and will likely need to finish .500 or better to make the state tourney.

The Patriots picked up a 65-55 win over Medford last Tuesday. Senior tri-captain Josh Mercado had a three-pointer, senior tri-captain Ethan Day added two baskets in the lane and freshman Charles Dobre added a fast-break layup and an offensive rebound putback in the opening quarter. Revere took a 26-24 lead at halftime. Senior tri-captain Avi Lung drained a three-pointer from the wing in the second quarter. Day added a pair of triples and a fast-break layup. Junior forward Devin Berry added a tough contested two in the paint, and Lung’s layup at the buzzer before the half broke a tie.

Revere broke out in the third quarter and took a 46-32 lead. Mercado’s corner three-pointer and Lung’s two pull-up jump shots and a three-pointer from the top of the key got things going. Day added four more baskets in the lane, and Dobre had a strong drive. The Revere defense was the story in the third quarter – holding Medford to just eight points and their star Justin Marino to zero points in the frame and just 18 for the game (average is 26.5), thanks mostly to Dobre, who was given the task to cover him.

Day had points in the final quarter, and Lung added a red-hot 11 points in the quarter, including two more three-pointers, to close out the win. Day finished with a monster night: 28 points, seven rebounds, three steals. Lung wasn’t so bad, either: 23 points, four assists. Dobre added six points and 10 rebounds. Mercado added six points.

“I thought our purpose and focus coming out of halftime was tremendous and obviously Charles’ defense on Marino was the key,” Revere coach David Leary said. “We have to do these things more consistently, but it was a nice win against a good team that beat us earlier in the season.”

On Saturday, Revere fell to Malden, 57-52. The teams were even at 16 after one. Dobre started hot with seven points, including a corner three-pointer. Day added a three-pointer and three free throws. Senior forward Erick Mayorga finished the quarter with a layup plus the foul to tie things up.

Revere took a 35-28 lead at halftime. Mercado stuck a corner three-pointer. Lung sank two free throws. Senior forward Gio Alexandre had two strong drives to the basket, and Day added two floaters in the lane, including an and-one on the foul with another three-pointer. Berry had a nice putback.

Revere still held the lead after three quarters: 45-43. Lung added two drives and layups. Mayorga had a putback, and Day made another corner three-pointer plus a free throw, but Malden took the lead and held on for the victory.

“The story here was just that the Patriots’ offense went ice cold,” Leary said. “Other than a Lung free throw, an Alexandre drive and two more baskets from Day in the lane, Revere could not buy a basket and Malden took advantage of it.”

Ethan Day finished with 22 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals. Lung added seven points and four assists. Mercado (three), Alexandre (six), Mayorga (five), Berry (two) and Dobre (seven) contributed on offense.

“We just could not make shots in the final quarter,” Leary said, “and it was unfortunate because I thought we moved the ball and were taking good shots. We need to be better defensively when shots aren’t falling to still hold on and win but give Malden credit: they came to play today. We have to just keep grinding and keep improving; plenty of season left.

The Patriots will host a very good Tewksbury team from the Merrimack Valley Conference Thursday night, Jan. 30, at 7 p.m.