JUNIOR point guard Brendan Sullivan (white) finished with 15 points, six assists and six rebounds during the Pioneers’ 71-70 victory over Manchester-Essex on Dec. 16. (File Photo)
By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — The boys’ basketball team opened the 2014-2015 Cape Ann League campaign with a narrow victory.
The Pioneers defeated Manchester-Essex 71-70 on Tuesday, Dec. 16.
Lynnfield outplayed the Hornets for the majority of the game and had a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter. The Pioneers’ double-digit lead was short-lived, as Manchester-Essex went on a rally in the stretch and the contest went right down to the wire.
Fortunately, the Pioneers hung on to win its first game of the young season.
Junior point guard Brendan Sullivan had a monster game for the Pioneers, finishing with 15 points, six assists and six rebounds. Senior captain Paul Pasciuto finished with 14 points and seven rebounds.
Pioneers head coach Scott MacKenzie said he was disappointed with the Pioneers’ performance against the Hornets.
“We were real lucky to come of there with a win,” said MacKenzie. “Up 14 points in the fourth, good teams put the game away with ease. Unfortunately for us, 22 turnovers and a chaotic final three minutes of the game showed that we have some real work to do. We’re just going to put our heads down and work toward becoming a better team.”
Upcoming games
The Pioneers faced Georgetown on Friday, Dec. 19 and Amesbury on Monday, Dec. 22, both taking place after deadline. Lynnfield will face Winthrop in the opening round of the North Reading Tournament on Saturday, Dec. 27, beginning at 5 p.m. The tournament will continue on Sunday, Dec. 28, but the Pioneers’ opponent and game time have yet to be announced.
Lynnfield will host Rockport on Friday, Jan. 2, beginning at 6:30 p.m. The Pioneers will host Bishop Fenwick on Sunday, Jan. 4, beginning at 2 p.m.
