Lowell rallies to stay unbeaten
Complete comeback over Billerica Tuesday
It’s looking quite clear that in order to beat the Lowell High boys basketball team this season, it’s going to take a special performance.
For one half on Tuesday night, it looked like visiting Billerica had the goods to get it done. But then Lowell turned into exactly what you’d expect Lowell to be in the 2019-20 season. The Red Raiders flexed their defensive muscles and unleashed their potent backcourt to put a stop to any upset thoughts Billerica might’ve been entertaining.
Lowell defeated the Indians, 73- 63, in a Merrimack Valley Conference crossover matchup and improved to a perfect 12- 0 on the campaign.
The hosts erased a seven-point halftime deficit, backed by intense ball pressure and a teamhigh 23 points from senior guard Ritchie Etienne that included a barrage of six 3-pointers. Senior guards and captains Carlos Nunez and Nate Siow added 20 and 14 points, respectively.
That was enough to overcome an enormous outing from Billerica (7-4) 6-foot-4 senior forward Ryan Murphy, who posted 23 points and 17 rebounds, and made three 3-pointers. Junior guard Ankeet Patel had 22 points (four 3-pointers) and senior guard Aiden Deady had 13 points.
“I think we stopped allowing them to make every three they took,” joked Lowell head coach Bob Michalczyk about the difference for his team in the second half. “We weren’t contesting them well enough (in the first half ). We knew that we had to focus on Patel and Deady, and Murphy, obviously. You can’t play three feet off of them and act like that’s a shot-contest. Then we picked up the pace.”
The Indians made six of their eight triples in the first half, as Patel went off for 18 in the first two frames. Murphy and Patel made back-to-back pull-up threes inside the final minute of the half to give Billerica a 40-33 advantage at the break.
Last season, in its own building, Billerica stunned Lowell on a buzzer-beater. The Indians were once again prepared for the challenge.
“I was extremely proud of the effort (Tuesday night),” said Biller
ica head coach Mark Mastrullo. “They knew what was at stake, so they came out and played really hard, they were focused. They’ve been ready since (Monday) and the day before — we had some really good practices and we played really well last Friday.
“I think Murphy down low can present some problems for them, and you got to make shots. We have a big man who protects the paint and makes
tough finishes and gets some and-ones. When you can make perimeter shots against them, it kind of spreads them out and helps Murph out. ( Tuesday), it was more or less their defensive pressure got to us. They’re just relentless, they’re aggressive and we knew that coming in. We just didn’t handle the pressure in the fourth quarter.”
Lowell tied it at 45-45 in the third on an Etienne 3pointer and then took a 4745 lead after Nunez stole the ball at halfcourt and drove all the way in for the layup. It was 53-53 after
three quarters.
The knockout blow came in the form of an 8- 0 run to start the fourth that put the Red Raiders up 6153 with 5:38 left in the game. Etienne buried another catch-and-shoot triple, junior Jaceb Mckenzie got a bucket plus the foul and Nunez drilled a pull-up jumper from 15 feet. Meanwhile, the Indians couldn’t get into a comfortable set.
From there, the Indians never threatened again.
Etienne’s shooting was a major difference-maker. He made four of his trifectas in the second half.
“Toward the end of the year last year we really tried to give him a bigger role,” Michalczyk said of Etienne. “It wasn’t until this year that he’s really come on. He has a certain skill set that not a lot have. He has very good handle, great pull-up off the dribble, very good shooter. He’s a nice complementary piece.”
Lowell’s undefeated record will be tested over the next week. The Red Raiders host unbeaten Beverly on Saturday, face Catholic Memorial on Sunday at Northeastern, and host St. John’s Prep next Tuesday.