Page 8 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, January 17, 2020 Saugus basketball: Boys gain playoff berth by beating Northeast By Greg Phipps D espite sporting just three victories through its first 11 games, the Saugus High School boys’ basketball team has already clinched a spot in the Division 3 North playoffs. That qualification came as a result of the Sullivan Rule, which grants an automatic bid to teams that end up with a record of .500 or better against higher-division schools. A 73-48 drubbing of Northeast Metro Tech on Monday was the step that got the Sachems into the postseason. Saugus beat Northeast earlier in the year and had little trouble the second time around at home. A comfortable doubledigit lead was soon built, and the Sachems were never really threatened from there. Having the knowledge that his squad is already playoffbound despite a 3-8 record ery game is a big game for us, and we tell them that wins are hard to come by.” The Sachems were certainly ready to go against Northeast. Four players finished in double figures, led by Joe Lusso with 15 points. Myles Manalaysay was close behind him with 14, and Christian Correia and Michael Bertrand netted 12 and 11 points, respectively. Three connections from downtown amounting to nine points from Andrew Aguilar aiding the cause as well. Coach Bertrand liked the sharing on offense that led to the balanced scoring. “We did a lot of preparation; we scouted for these guys but had to take it one quarter at a time,” he said. “The kids were ready. I give them a lot of credit.” The storyline wasn’t as pleasSaugus guard Myles Manalaysay, who is shown here in action against Winthrop back on Jan. 3, posted 14 points in a win over Northeast Metro Tech on Monday. as of early this week, Saugus head coach Mark Bertrand now has the opportunity to experiment and find the right combinations during the remainder of the schedule. He made a few adjustments in the victory over Northeast. “We changed our lineup a little bit. We knew this was a big game,” he told the press after Monday’s contest. “We tell the kids that evant for the Sachems on Tuesday, as they dropped a 76-45 decision at home to Salem. Saugus has struggled in Northeastern Conference play so far this season with just one victory over Winthrop back on Jan. 3. The Sachems gave Swampscott a tough game before losing, 63-56, last Friday. Correia had a big game by producing 21 points, and Manalaysay dropped in 16. The Sachems travel to take on Gloucester Friday night. Get great deals now on advertising rates: Call Jim at 781-983-6187 Publishing free every week in Everett, Malden, Revere and Saugus
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