Page 18 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2022 Everett High boys’ basketball falls to North HS in MIAA State Tourney opener, 66-54 Furious Crimson Tide comeback falls short at the end; North (20-3 overall) advanced, but fell to #1 BC High Senior John Monexant rolls the ball off his fingers, scoring two points. By Jason Mazzilli Tide senior John Monexant went for an open layup against a Worcester North High School defender in a physical game on Friday, March 4. T o coin a phrase from a well-known Hollywood movie franchise, the Everett High boys basketball team came back “fast” — and “furious”— last Friday night, in their opening game in the MIAA Division 1 State Basketball Tournament. But the solid, second-half comeback was still not enough in the end, as the visiting Crimson Tide were bounced out in round one, 66-54 by North High School of Worcester. Head Coach Stanley Chamblain’s Tide squad finished the season at 16-5 overall, as undefeated Greater Boston League champs (14-0), but disappointed with an early exit in the first-ever, true statewide tournament. The 16th-seeded North Polar Bears improved to 20-2 overall with the win on Friday night, but were eliminated themselves three nights later, 76-48 at the hands of #1 seed, unbeaten BC High (22-0). North took no prisoners in the first Crimson Tide junior Steven Cordero goes to the foul line for two to keep the game close. half Friday, building a commanding 19-point lead late in the second quarter to lead 47-28 at the halftime break. “Everett is a good team, and I knew we just needed to handle their press. We did a good job in the first half and got some easy transition baskets,” said North head coach Al Farriss, in an online report. “Then in the second half, they made a couple of adjustments, and we went back to our old ways, getting in the corner, turning the ball over.” Everett roared back, causing a whopping 20 turnovers over the final quarter, getting to 50-43 with 12 minutes left to play. But North held on, cut down the turnovers when it counted and also held the usual high-scoring Everett squad (usually in the high 60s) in a lower-scoring mode in the 12-point victory. North’s Oscar Pizarro led the way for the Bears, with 18 points, including two three-pointers. One key shot in the fourth quarter started an 11-2 run that pushed the North lead to 61-45 with 3:13 to play; a burst from Everett never did recover. The Polar Bears got a game-high 19 points freshman Ty Tabales, who drew six fouls, and a double-double from Gio Okla scored 16 points. Everett was led by Roger Vasquez’s 17 points, 13 from John Monexant and 12 by Steven Cordero. A Worcester North defender looks on as Everett’s high flyer Steven Cordero soars for a layup. Senior Cam Mohammed stylishly drops two points for Everett. Senior John Monexant pulls up for a three-point shot during the second round MIAA playoff game against Worcester North. A layup by senior John Monexant keeps the Crimson Tide alive early in the fourth period. Everett High School fans roar in support as the Crimson Tide gains traction in the fourth period.
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