Saugus boys repay Tigers with OT win

  Back in December, the Saugus High School boys’ basketball team dropped a one-point decision in overtime at Lynn Tech. The two teams met in a rematch on Monday night at the Saugus gym. This time it was the Sachems who came out on the winning side.

  Monday’s matchup ended up being another overtime battle, as Saugus came back from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force the OT session and eventually net a 70-64 victory. The win upped the Sachems’ overall record to 10-4.

  With the score even at 61 apiece after regulation, Saugus went on to outscore the visiting Tigers 9-3 in the extra period. Ben Tapia-Gately and Josh Osawe each poured home 19 points, while Max Anajjar (16) and Chris Flynn (12) also reached double digits in scoring.

  It was Flynn’s clutch three-pointer in the final seconds of regulation that tied the game at 61 and set up the overtime session. Head Coach Joe Bertrand also cited the pressure free-throw shooting of seniors Tapia-Gately, Anajjar and Osawe down the stretch.

  Bertrand said his squad was able to gather itself after falling behind by 10 three minutes into the fourth period. “We called a timeout, regrouped and locked in as a team on defense,” he said. “We turned some big steals into easy points. Our defense stepped up again and we got the big stop(s) we needed.”

  The Sachems went into the halftime locker room trailing by seven at 32-25 and were behind by six entering the final quarter. When the two teams played each other at Lynn Tech earlier this season, the Tigers escaped with a 62-61 overtime triumph.

  The Sachems had won five of their last six games – the lone loss coming against Div. I state powerhouse Beverly – entering Wednesday night’s home game against KIPP Academy. The Sachems are scheduled to travel to Salem for a contest against the Witches Friday night.