MALDEN — Beverly possesses the depth necessary to win a state title.
That was on display in its Round of 16 game against Malden Catholic, where the ninth-seeded Panthers put forth a tenacious team effort to defeat the eighth-seeded Lancers, 68-64, in a gym that has been a house of horrors for many opponents.
Two keys to victory for Beverly (18-4) were rebounding the ball and running the fast break. They accomplished both, only getting outrebounded by one board despite giving up a significant size advantage to MC. And they found points on the break all night, with Danny Pierce and Eli Landman both causing constant headaches for MC.
“We rebounded our asses off, and we knew we’d have to, especially with their size advantage,” said Beverly coach Matt Karakoudas. “It was a great game, a great environment, and MC made a lot of runs. But our guys earned this win.”
Both teams traded hoops in the opening quarter, and a surgical play by Jacob Klass, who was relatively quiet with 14 points yet did a phenomenal job as playmaker and defender, put Beverly ahead, 16-13, after one. The Panthers then went on a 16-7 run to pull ahead by a dozen, before MC stopped turning over the ball and trimmed the deficit at the half to 34-28.
MC showed grit in the third, taking its first lead since the first quarter before Beverly jumped ahead by one, 43-42, to enter the fourth. And that was when Beverly won the game with a balanced attack, as Klass, Pierce, Landman, Dom Torres and Andrew Braganca all attacked the rim.
“We’re not a one-man show,” said Karakoudas. “A lot of guys stepped up, which was necessary to beat a great team like MC.”
The game was tied, 56-56, with 2:30 left to play. Beverly was better down the stretch, outscoring MC by a 12-6 margin–and icing the game with free throws.
“We battle through adversity,” said Landman. “That’s why we knew we were going to win this game. We’re experienced, and you could see that trust down the stretch. We believed in each other that we’d win this game.”
For MC (15-7), the state title drought will now extend to two. The Lancers moved to Division 1 after bulldozing through Division 2, and hired a new coach in Mark Garrity right before the start of the season. Despite their success early in the season, the loss of the 6-foot-5 big man Jeremiah Figaro to injury hurt, and the Lancers proved unable to make an extended run in the state tournament.
“Every time we had a chance, it felt like we gave up points on the fast break or on open shots,” said Garrity. “But those guys care so much and wanted to win. We just couldn’t get over the hump. Give credit to Beverly.”
Beverly advances to play either top-seeded Central Catholic or no. 17 Saint John’s in the Round of 8.
“We’re proud to be doing this as a public school,” said Klass (14 points), who continues to set the Beverly scoring record with 1,385 points and counting. “We trust each other, and we believe in each other. I wouldn’t want to play with anyone else.”
