Published in the February 1, 2017 edition
SENIOR CAPTAIN Louis Ellis finished with 28 points and six rebounds during the Pioneers’ 80-61 victory over Georgetown Jan. 24. (Dan Tomasello File Photo)
By DAVID McCOUBREY
GEORGETOWN — The Lynnfield Pioneers boys’ basketball team stayed undefeated in the Cape Ann League, beating Georgetown 80-61 on the road Jan. 24 to improve to 10-0 in league play and 10-1 overall.
Sharpshooting senior captain Louis Ellis couldn’t be contained, pouring in 28 points and snatching six rebounds. Ellis had 17 points in the previous game against Manchester-Essex and has established himself as one of the best scorers in the league.
The Pioneers also got big contributions from senior captain Michael Carangelo, whose size and physical play led to 16 points and a team-high seven rebounds. And for back-to-back games junior guard Billy Arseneault, the team’s shifty and creative point guard, scored 16 points and added nine assists.
Lynnfield chalked up another win, but this one was a little more special, as the Pioneers qualified for the tournament.
“We are extremely excited to earn our 10th win and qualify for the postseason,” said head coach Scott MacKenzie. “This was a goal of ours heading into the season and I am just so proud of the kids for all the work they have put in over the last eight-plus weeks.”
Hold 8th team to under 50 points
The Lynnfield boys, while now 11-0 in the Cape Ann League, have faced a few tough challenges, which included a grind-it-out win on Friday against Triton on the road, beating the Vikings 52-46.
With junior guard Zach Shone, normally a starter, and junior guard Matt Jameson out of the lineup, the Pioneers were missing two key pieces.
Lynnfield was able to pull off a tough victory with the help of three players who have been excellent lately. Billy Arseneault, the team’s point guard, led the way with 22 points and four assists, while also nabbing seven boards as one of the smaller players on the court. Michael Carangelo chipped in 11 points and eight rebounds of his own, and Louis Ellis continued his hot hand, adding 15 points.
Lynnfield has held opponents under 50 points eight times in their 11 wins, and the Pioneers received excellent defensive efforts from senior forward Bryant Dana and senior guard Matt Seelig. MacKenzie was happy with the win, but he knew it was a slog.
After the game he said, “This was a gut check win from the fellas. With Zach and Dan out of the starting lineup against a good team, we needed to grind this thing out for a full 32 minutes. It was real ugly, but we’ll take the result.”
Upcoming games
The Pioneers hosted the Pentucket Sachems Tuesday night (after press time) and travel to Masconomet on Friday, Feb. 3 for a 6:30 p.m. tip-off.
