Beverly Defeats Swampscott 65-54

As both Swampscott and Beverly warmed up on Tuesday night, fans were expecting a close contest. 

After all, they’ve gotten used to exciting finishes between the Big Blue and the Panthers.

Three years ago, Swampscott senior Brian Sullivan scored on a three-pointer in the corner with almost 30 seconds remaining to put down the Panthers. Last season, Beverly’s Cam Rogers connected on a midrange jumper at the buzzer in overtime, giving his team a 66-65 victory.

That pattern was continued on Tuesday. Swampscott was down 54-51 with four minutes remaining, and the Big Blue was preparing for its first comeback victory of the season.

But by that point, it seemed that the adrenaline Chad Nelson provided for Swampscott with his return had worn off. The Big Blue would only score four more points for the rest of the game, losing 65-54.

Despite the loss, Swampscott coach Dave Born was quick to call it “the best effort of the year.” Although the Big Blue was not perfect, it made several advances on past mistakes.

First, and most notably, Chad Nelson is feeling better. Nelson scored 30 points while attaining 15 rebounds, his strongest double-double of the season. It looked like his teammates were inspired by his appearance as well, as the Big Blue defense were able to force several turnovers on the perimeter.

Nelson’s presence in the paint allowed Swampscott’s guards to protect passing lanes, resulting in multiple fast-break opportunities. Furthermore, the Big Blue only turned the ball over 11 times – a strong improvement compared to recent performances.

Coach Born was also proud of his team’s collective effort, as it illustrated how Swampscott has been able to ignore its current three-game losing streak.  “We’ve talked about being physically and mentally tougher. That’s important. We were close, but not enough. Hopefully, we get there towards the end of the year,” said Born.

However, some weaknesses still need correction – particularly on the fast break. Swampscott had plenty of opportunities, but couldn’t execute. “We have to space it better. We’re still not spacing it good enough,” said Born of his team’s transition offense.

Even more apparent was Swampscott’s inability to stay within reach in the final minutes. That can easily be faulted with the Big Blue’s lack of experience in that situation, and like most of Swampscott’s troubles, will be fixed with time.

Beverly’s Jonathon Bercoff had 24 points and 13 rebounds to counter Nelson’s effort, while Alex Traicoff scored 12 points for the Panthers.

The Big Blue is coming closer together as a team, and it’s starting to rub off on the court. With just a little more time, Swampscott could turn into a scary opponent.

“We’re going to keep going; we’re going to keep improving. If we keep heading in the right direction, good things are going to happen in the second half of the season,” said Born.

Swampscott (2-8) plays Salem (5-1) at home on Friday night. On Tuesday, Salem beat the previously undefeated Danvers Falcons, 41-38.

Although Swampscott’s record is negative, they still have a chance to return to the tournament under the “Sullivan Rule.” Because more than 70% of the Big Blue’s opponents are ranked in a higher division than Swampscott, only league and non-league contests played against equal or lower divisions may solely be considered in the 50-percent qualifying criteria.

That means Swampscott has to only focus on two teams: Winthrop and Amesbury. Both are teams Swampscott has previously defeated, and both are the last two games on the Big Blue’s schedule. If Swampscott wins against Winthrop again, they should be heading for postseason play.

Ted Kennedy contributed to this article.