THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, FEbRuARy 23, 2024 Page 15 Tide boys basketball preps for hopeful long postseason run Division 1 state tournament pairings will be announced tomorrow on MiAA website The 2024 EHS Crimson Tide Boys’ Varsity Basketball Team, shown back row, from left to right: Head Coach Gerard Boyce, Assistant Coach Gerell Boyce, Aidan Volquez, Vessenchy Jean, Allisin Desruisseaux, Jaysaun Coggins, John Luna, Leison Ruiz, Amine Hamoudi, Lian Dorosario Santos, Jomanuel Desruisseaux, Henrique Pinto, Team Manager Joey Lemay, Statistician Carol Manuel, Assistant Coach Lawan Swain, and Team Manager Marvens Seide. Kneeling, shown from left to right: Steve Nunes, Cleevence Erilus, Cristian Vasquez, Tyson Chhun, and Jevaun Berberena. By Joe McConnell T he Everett High School boys basketball team (155) won its last seven out of eight regular season games to go into the postseason redhot among all of the state’s elite squads. According to the state power rankings on Feb. 20, the Everett boys are 37th out of 61 Division 1 clubs. “I’m extremely proud of the boys,” said first-year head coach Gerard Boyce. “They have given me all they have, and then some this year. “We have a week to prepare for the state tournament,” added Boyce. “We will know our first-round opponent (tomorrow, Feb. 24). But overall, it’s been an epic first year, but we’re not done yet. We’re now looking forward to the tournament.” Everett’s final week of the regular season started off with a win over East Boston, Boyce’s alma mater, 65-60 on Feb. 15. They then lost to non-league host Sharon Sunday afternoon to begin a late season invitational tournament, 75-52, before beating Dedham in the consolation game the next day, 65-45. “I graduated from East Boston in 1990, and coaching against them was epic,” said Boyce. “It was a first for me to coach against one of my former players. It was very unBASKETBALL | SEE PAGE 18 Tide girls’ basketball ends season with losses to Lowell, Marblehead Everett misses the state tournament by just two games after gallant late season comeback effort By Joe McConnell T he Everett High School girls’ basketball team (812) dropped four out of its last five games of the season to fall out of state tournament contention, thus missing a postseason berth by a slim two games. The Crimson Tide lost to non-league host Lowell last Thursday (Feb. 15). 46-43, before visiting Marblehead exploded past them, 5733 Monday afternoon in another non-league encounter. “It was a bummer of a loss against Lowell,” said coach Riley Dunn. “My girls played so hard, and it was some of the best basketball I have ever seen them play. They played together, executed their plays, responded to adjustments on the fly and never let up until the final buzzer. Unfortunately, we didn’t finish on top, but I’m so proud of their fight and performance against a solid Lowell team.” Emilia Maria Babcock collected 10 points and five rebounds to help her teammates stay close on the scoreboard. Malaica Guillaume recorded 16 points and seven rebounds to do her part to put a scare into Lowell. Dunn mentioned that Casey Martinez, Kaesta Sandy, Taisha Alexandre, Sonia Constanza Flores and Manal Bouhou were all credited with some major defensive stops to go along with making clutch baskets on offense that helped maintain the compete level throughout the contest. The Everett girls then wrapped up the season at home with a loss against non-league Marblehead out of the Northeastern Conference earlier this week. Babcock was the team’s leading scorer against the Magicians with 11 points. She also grabbed five rebounds. Guillaume chipped Bottom row, shown from left to right: Malica Guillaume, Taisha Alexandre, Dori Vilson, Emilia Maria-Babcock, Malaica Guillaume, and Gleidy Tejada Sanchez. Top row, shown from left to right: Assistant Coaches Alex Strempel with Courtney Meninger, Casey Martinez, Sonia Flores, Clarice Alexis, Gerniah Boyce, Kaesta Sandy, Manal Bouhou, Katerin Landaverde and Head Coach Riley Dunn. in with nine points and eight rebounds. As a result of their sub .500 record, the Tide did not qualify for the Division 1 state tournament. The top teams in Division 1, according to the Feb. 20 state power rankings, are as follows: Bishop Feehan (16-4), Wachusett Regional (19-0), Springfield Central (15-3), Wellesley (154), Woburn Memorial (16-4), Central Catholic (16-4), Weymouth (17-4), Quincy (17-3), Lexington (16-4), Needham (14-6) and Bridgewater-Raynham (14-6).
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