Classical vs English 2/13/09

LYNN -- For the Lynn English boys basketball team, winning the Northeastern Conference was the main course. The dessert - sweeping the season series with Classical - was just as tasty.

Four players scored in double figures, including freshly-minted NEC North MVP Ryan Woumn with 27 points, to lead the Bulldogs to a 94-86 win over the Rams, Friday night, at Classical High.

Archie Allen added 17 points for the Bulldogs (18-1), while Eugene Turner had 13 and Charlie Rucker added 12.

"It's a great victory," English coach Buzzy Barton said. "We just came at them with a lot of bodies and kept running. I have to take my hat off to Classical. They hung in there and made us work for it."

Jasper Grassa led the Rams (14-8) with 19 points, while Cam Smith and Jarell Byrd added 17 each. Jared Fay chipped in with 10.

Classical led, 47-45, in the third quarter when English went on a 18-0 run to take command of the game. The Bulldogs led by as many as 20 points in the fourth quarter. The Rams fought back to within seven with 2:17 to play, but got no closer.

"The third quarter absolutely killed us," Classical coach Tom Grassa said. "To score 86 points and only come up with 12 in a quarter ..."

English led by as many as seven points in a blistering first quarter that ended with the Bulldogs on top, 25-21. Classical finally took its first lead of the game when Jasper Grassa made a fast break layup on a feed from Byrd to make the score 37-36 with 1:49 left in the first half. A 3-point play by Allen helped English tie the score, 41-41, at halftime.

The teams swapped the lead three times early in the third period before English switched its defense to put more pressure on the ball. The strategy forced the Rams into missed shots and English was able to break out toward the other end. Seven different players scored during the decisive 18-0 run, with Allen nailing a 3-pointer from the right of the top of the key to make the score 63-47, with 1:42 left in the third period.

English's lead peaked at 78-58 when Woumn made a couple of free throws with 5:43 left in the game. Classical picked up its defensive pressure and answered with a quick 10-1 run, which culminated with a 3-point play by Byrd with four minutes to play.

English put the ball back into Woumn's capable hands, and he was able to control the tempo as well as hit some key foul shots down the stretch to maintain the Bulldogs' lead.

"That's why he's the league MVP," Barton said. "I've coached him for three years and he's one of the big reasons why we're three-time NEC champs."

The Classical community honor Seniors Mike Gallo, Chris Francois, and Cam Smith before their last game.