RHS Roundup: Girls Hoop Wins Pair, at 9-6

The Revere High girls basketball team won both of its contests this past week to improve to 9-6 on the season and move within one game of clinching a spot in the post season state tourney.

The Lady Patriots overcame a slow start Tuesday against Lynn Classical in which the Revere girls scored only one point in the first quarter and seven in the second frame to trail at halftime 17-8.

However, with things not going their way offensively, the Lady Patriots turned to their defense to change the game’s momentum. Coach Katelyn Leonard employed a tenacious, full court, man-to-man defense after the intermission. The tough “D” stunned Classical and created opportunities for the Lady Patriots at the offensive end, allowing them to cut the deficit to just two points entering the final quarter.

Revere kept up the pressure on defense and began to take the ball to the basket. Venous Hamza took over for Revere in that department, drawing fouls and hitting 6-of-6 from the free throw line. Tiphani Harris also sank a pair of clutch shots from the charity stripe with two minutes to go to push Revere ahead for the first time, a lead the Lady Patriots never would relinquish en route to a scintillating 42-36 triumph.

“As a team, we shot 9-for-10 from the free throw line in the fourth period, and that made all the difference,” said Leonard.

Hamza led the RHS point chart with 14 points. Tiphani Harris hit for nine points and had seven rebounds. Jen Fajardo chipped in with eight points and played tough defense on Classical’s number one scorer, holding her to just seven points on the night.

Caitlyn Caramello hit for six points and had her usual major contribution in the rebounding department, pulling down 10 caroms. Amy Rotger contributed four points and Michaela Maguire added two.

Friday’s contest with Salem followed a totally different script, as the Lady Patriots jumped out to an 11-2 advantage in the  first quarter and never looked back. However, the Revere defense was a constant that carried over from the Classical victory. The Lady Patriots limited Salem to just six field goals for the entire 32 minutes as they went on to post 30-24 triumph in what was a battle for second place in the North Division of the Northeastern Conference.

The scoring was spread out, with Hamza hitting for seven points, including two big free throws in the fourth period to ice the game. Caramello also struck for seven points and forwarded another double digit rebounding effort with 12 boards.

Alex Ambrosino drained two key three pointers at crucial times for six points, Tiphani Harris added four, and Fajardo and Rotger had two each.

Leonard and her crew were set to embark on their quest to punch their ticket for a  Journey to the Tourney starting last night (Tuesday) at Beverly. They host Peabody Friday.

Boys basketball team defeats Lynn Classical

The Revere High boys basketball team turned in a fine all around effort to earn a hard fought and well played 48-44 win over Lynn Classical last Tuesday.

The contest was a tight one right up to the final minute. Revere overcame a 21-14 deficit

at the intermission and reversed the game’s momentum to grab a 30-29 edge at the end of three stanzas. The teams then battled each other evenly the rest of the way, but Revere proved tougher down the stretch, with Patriot Dom Boyce sinking two clutch free throws with 19 seconds to play to put the game on ice for Revere.

“It was a well played game by both teams,” said RHS head coach Rick Hayes. “It was up and down the whole way, especially in the final period.”

Alex Urena led the Pats with 15 points, followed by Boyce with 12, Mike Ciambelli with eight, Mike Dreeszen with five, and Joseph Aud and Chris Palladino with four apiece. In addition, Palladino proved immense in the rebounding department, hauling in 16 caroms on the night.

“Chris was a bulwark on the boards for us, especially at the defensive end, where he prevented Classical (which needed a win in order to improve its chances for a state tourney berth) from getting second shots,” said Hayes, who also noted that the senior drew a huge charging call late in the game that turned the ball over to Revere at a crucial juncture.

However, the Patriots did not fare as well three nights later, coming out on the short end of a 60-55 decision to Salem. The contest was a mirror image of the Classical game. Revere took an early lead, moving out to a 32-27 advantage at the half. However, by the time of the third buzzer, the Pats found themselves trailing 47-39 thanks to a 20-7 run by Salem in the third quarter.

“We only made two field goals in the third period, which really killed us,” said Hayes. The Patriots fought back gamely however, closing the gap to just two points, 55-53, in the final minutes. However, with Revere forced to foul, Salem hit its free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.

Dreeszen topped the scoring chart for the Pats with 14 points, including four of five shooting from three point land. Geo Gomez hit for 12 points, followed by Palladino with nine (plus another big night on the boards for Chris with 15 rebounds), Boyce with eight, and Ciambelli and Aud with six each. Ciambelli also reached double figures in the rebounding department with 12 boards.

The Patriots, who stand at 7-11 on the season, will wrap up their 2011-2012 campaign this week. They were set to host Beverly last night (Tuesday) and will travel to Peabody Friday.

RHS hockey team blanks Somerville, 5-0

The Revere High boys hockey team turned in a solid effort at both ends of the ice to skate away with a 5-0 victory over former Greater Boston League rival Somerville Saturday evening at Cronin Rink.

Shayne Cambria staked the Pats to a 1-0 lead in the opening period, assisted by R.J. Tiorano. Revere made it 3-0 after two frames, with Marco Mazzarelli and Pat Bartol lighting the red lamp. Brandon Mastropietro assisted on Mazzarelli’s goal.

Tiorano, assisted by Nico Luisi, and Chris Whalen, assisted by Tiorano and Drew Lauria, added extra insurance markers for goalie Jon Papasadora, who went all the way to earn the shutout, turning aside 19 Somerville shots.

The complete victory was a nice reversal of the outcome three nights previously on the same Cronin ice in which the Patriots absorbed an 11-5 defeat to Swampscott. After trailing 2-1 in the opening frame, with Peter Marino scoring unassistedly (okay, we know that’s not a word) for Revere, the proverbial roof fell in on the Pats, as Swampscott lit the lamp six times. Lauria (unassisted) and Cam Whalen (from brother Chris) retaliated for Revere, but it was not enough to stem the Swampscott scoring tide that left matters at 8-3 entering the final 15 minutes of play.

Cambria (from Marino and Chris Whalen) and Tiorano (from Mazzarelli and Cam Whalen) scored in the final period for Revere for the 11-5 finale.

“It was just one of those games,” said Palumbo, whose team was not outshot (36-31) by as much as the final score might indicate.

Palumbo and his crew, who stand at 4-8-4 on the season, still have a chance at qualifying for the state tournament if they can win their last four games. They open that stretch tonight (Wednesday) at Cronin at 6:30 against Marblehead. They travel to Salem State University to take on Salem High Saturday evening, and then will play in the annual Newburyport Bank tourney during the vacation week on Monday and Wednesday.

Middle School track meet set for March 2

All Revere middle school students are invited to compete in an indoor track and field meet on Friday, March 2, at 3:00 in the RHS field house. The meet, which will be conducted under the auspices of the Revere High track program, is open to all boys and girls in grades 6-8.

They will compete in the following events: 50 yard dash, 50 yard hurdles, 600 meter dash, one mile run, high jump, shotput, and relay.

An instructional clinic will take place the day before, Thursday, March 1, at 3:00, at the field house.

Participation at the clinic is recommended, but is optional and not necessary to compete in the meet. Competitors may register for the track and field meet in person on either Thursday or Friday.

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