Sports
Lynn English Crushes Swampscott, 82-65
The Bulldogs' defensive intensity forced the Big Blue into uncomfortable situations throughout the game.
Through their defensive pressure on the Big Blue, the Lynn English Bulldogs never gave Swampscott a chance to catch up to the Bulldogs' high-octane offense. Swampscott committed 19 turnovers in the first half and couldn’t find a rhythm on offense, losing 82-65.
The Big Blue had difficulty bringing the ball past half court in the first half, thanks to the Bulldogs’ full-court press. Whenever Swampscott turned the ball over, Lynn English had an easy look at the basket. The Bulldogs scored 44 points in the first half, the most any team has scored against Swampscott in a half this season.
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But whenever Swampscott managed to break the press, they had solid opportunities on the offensive end. Stephen Bowers was able to score seven points in the first half, while Dan Trentsch, Val Temin, and Sam Walker each had five by halftime. The Big Blue put up 29 points in the first sixteen minutes, a respectable number that still wasn’t enough to combat the Bulldogs.
After taking a 15 point lead into halftime thanks to a Fred Hogan buzzer beater, Lynn English went on a 3:45, 13-5 run to begin the third quarter that gave the Bulldogs a 57-34 lead with 4:15 remaining in the third. Forward Ben Bowden scored 12 of the 13 points for Lynn English during the run, using his size underneath the basket to create space for easy layups.
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However, Swampscott never gave up. senior guard Steven Scaglione led the charge for the Blue in the second half, scoring 12 points on a myriad of moves toward the basket. His effort symbolized Swampscott’s resilience in the game, as the Big Blue never stopped giving up until the final buzzer sounded in a disappointing loss for Swampscott.
Bowers and Scaglione both finished with 12 points, while Temin added 10 and Walker and King both had seven.
Tuesday’s loss forces Swampscott to win out if they wish to make the playoff tournament. The Big Blue travel to Winthrop on Friday, a team they beat earlier in the year, and return home the following Tuesday to take on the undefeated Danvers Falcons. The Falcons are ranked #3 in the state by ESPNBoston.com, and gave Swampscott one of its worst defeats of the season.
