SOPHOMORE GUARD Kat Hassapis soars over the Essex Tech defense to score for the Hornets. (John Friberg Photo)
By DAN NUNN
NORTH READING — The Lady Hornets used a late game run to get past the Amesbury Indians 46-38 at home on Jan. 19. Senior basketball captain Frankie Elliott led the way with 14 points.
It was a battle in the opening quarter. With just under two minutes remaining in the first the score was all tied up at 7-7. But a bucket from sophomore Katerina Hassapis at the 1:38 mark broke the tie and gave the Hornets a 9-7 lead.
Early on in the second quarter the lead expanded to 13-8. But the Indians responded with seven straight points to capture a 15-13 lead at 3:14. Fortunately, North Reading subsequently outscored Amesbury 7-2 and took a 20-17 lead into the break.
After a 3-pointer at the 6:24 mark of the third quarter from Hassapis the lead ballooned to 25-20. The Indians refused to give in and battled back to tie it at 27. But by end of the third the Hornets held a 33-29 lead.
Amesbury opened the fourth with an 8-0 run and took their biggest lead of the game, 37-33, at 4:53. But North Reading didn’t panic. They closed the game on a 13-1 run and escaped with the win.
Win OT thriller over Lynnfield 45-41
Behind double-doubles from Frankie Elliott, Katerina Hassapis and junior Jess Lezon, the Hornets won an overtime thriller over the rival Lynnfield Pioneers 45-41 on Friday night.
Both Elliott and Hassapis had 11 points and 11 rebounds and Lezon added 10 points and 12 rebounds off the bench in the road game. With the win North Reading improved to 8-4 overall and 6-3 in the CAL.
The Hornets maintained a lead for the entire first quarter. The lead was only one with just under two minutes remaining but they outscored the Pioneers 7-2 the rest of the way to expand the lead to 14-8 after one.
North Reading led by as much as eight in the second quarter. But they couldn’t shake Lynnfield and after a free throw from Lezon at 4:02 the lead was just five.
The lead would eventually evaporate as the Pioneers closed the half on an 11-0 run to take a 29-23 halftime lead. There was very little offense in the third quarter. Both teams scored one basket and the lead remained at six 31-25.
The Hornets stormed back in the fourth. After an early bucket gave Lynnfield an eight-point lead North Reading responded with a 13-2 run to retake the lead at 38-35.
With the lead still three and the seconds ticking down it looked like North Reading would escape with the win. Unfortunately the Pioneers drained a three with one second left to force overtime.
The Hornets outscored Lynnfield 7-3 in overtime to escape with a hard-fought four-point victory.
Upcoming games
The Hornets are scheduled to travel to Newburyport on Friday, Jan. 30 for a 6:30 p.m. tip-off. They’ll return home on Tuesday, Feb. 3 to host Triton at 7 p.m.
