LYNNFIELD — Tense doesn’t even begin to describe the atmosphere in Lynnfield Friday night as the Manchester Essex boys basketball team took on their CAL rivals.
Not only were both teams scrapping and clawing defensively all evening, but the referees weren’t shy in blowing their whistle either. In fact, by the time the final buzzer sounded, the Hornets had made more free throws than field goals.
But the most important numbers came on the final scoreboard, and those digits came up green and white as Manchester hung on in crunch time for a wild 61-58 victory in wire-to-wire fashion.
They did so despite three of their starters fouling out in the final minutes, weathering the storm by coming up with big stop after big stop when it mattered most.
“What a game,” said Hornets’ head coach Tim St. Laurent, breathing a big sigh of relief after his team handed playoff-bound Lynnfield just its third loss of the year. Both of the Pioneers’ other losses came against unbeaten Newburyport.
“It came down to our matchup zone; it was absolutely flawless tonight,” continued the coach. “The guys have been working hard on it and you saw the difference. They were matching up, picking up the cutters, picking up the screens, and finding the shooters when they could against a very good team.”
Manchester’s stout defensive effort started as the opening tip sailed into the air and continued until the final seconds ticked off the game clock. The Hornets allowed just eight points in the first quarter, seizing a six-point lead that increased to seven (29-22) at the break.
On the other end, junior guard Graham Lewis was in his bag in the opening half, canning a number of impressive jumpers and cashing in at the free throw line to help keep his team in front. He knocked down one of his three triples before recess and scored 14 of his game-high 23 points over those first two frames.
“Graham hit some unbelievable shots in the first half to keep us in it,” said St. Laurent. “But it was a defensive battle; it was a war.”
That it was.
Despite trailing the entire evening, it never really felt like Lynnfield was out of it. And with all the whistles (the teams combined for 47 free throw attempts), it was tough for either side to find a real rhythm, meaning momentum could swing at any moment.
The visitors ultimately outscored the Hornets, 16-15, in the third to make it just a two possession game heading for home, and they did so on the heels of some strong play from junior Grant Neal (18 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists). Point guard Cam Chisholm added all nine of his points in the second half, splashing home a key triple along the way.
But as close as Lynnfield got, it never took the lead — and the Hornets have Jake Zschau to thank for that.
The senior swingman was having a quiet night until about the four-minute mark of the fourth quarter when he canned back-to-back corner 3-balls to spark a quick 8-2 Hornets burst. Lewis added a fast break layup to cap off the spree and give his team a 54-44 lead and force a Pioneers’ timeout.
Zschau would then drill five of six free throw attempts down the stretch to help seal the deal — all this as Lewis, Zach Hurd (4 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals) and Alex Ste. Marie (13 points, 7 rebounds) fouled out of the game.
“He was a little beaten up because he wasn’t getting into the point column and it was affecting him a little,” St. Laurent said of Zschau, who had just one bucket before the late onslaught. He finished with 13 points and five boards.
“But we had a good talk and he came back out, we called a play and he banged a three for us and then another three. It was absolutely great; couldn’t be prouder of him.”
Zschau also came up with a clutch steal in the final minute just as Lynnfield was threatening to inch closer. The Pioneers — who also had two players foul out — would hit a three at the buzzer, but it was too little, too late.
Due to consistent foul trouble to key players, Manchester rotated in numerous guys throughout. Joe Glass (2 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal) returned from a lengthy battle with mono and contributed some key minutes down low, as did Parker Woodman (3 points, 2 rebounds). Jack McCavanagh drew the start and delivered with six rebounds, a layup, a pair of assists and some nice defensive plays, while Hurd was zipping all over the court before exiting the contest with five fouls.
It was a big triumph for Manchester, which held Lynnfield to a season-low in points and has now won three straight after enduring a four game losing streak earlier in the month.
“This just give us the confidence we needed,” said St. Laurent, his team now 8-5. “We had a really tough game in Amesbury (on Wednesday) and pulled out a win, and we knew we were starting to gain some confidence. So this gives us even more confidence going down the stretch.”
Manchester Essex 61, Lynnfield 58
at Lynnfield High School
Manchester Essex (8-5);14;15;15;17;61
Lynnfield (10-3);8;14;16;20;58
Individual statistics
Manchester Essex — Graham Lewis 7-6-23, Alex Ste. Marie 4-4-13, Jake Zschau 3-5-13, Zach Hurd 1-2-4, Parker Woodman 1-1-3, Jack McCavanagh 1-0-2, Joe Glass 1-0-2, Jacob Zachareas 0-1-1, Chris Glass 0-0-0, Michael Harris 0-0-0. Totals: 18-19-61.
Lynnfield — Grant Neal 7-2-18, Oliver Harth 4-0-11, Cam Chisholm 2-4-9, Brandon Doherty 3-0-8, Justin Flores 3-1-7, Harris Hadzihasanovic 2-1-5, Ryan Barrett 0-0-0. Totals: 21-8-58.
Halftime: 29-22, Manchester Essex
3-pointers: M — Lewis 3, Zschau 2, Ste. Marie; L — Harth 3, Doherty 2, Neal 2, Chisholm.