New head coach Marvin Avery and his Lynn Classical boys basketball team had to work overtime in their season opener against a pesky Revere team.
And the extra effort was all worth it as the Rams took control in overtime to defeat Revere, 59-57, Friday night at the Roland Merullo Fieldhouse in Revere.
The win marked the return to Lynn basketball for Coach Marvin Avery, who previously coached at Lynn Tech. Interestingly, Revere’s head coach, David Leary, succeeded Avery at Lynn Tech before taking the Revere job.
Angel Garcia, Classical’s much-improved 6-foot-3 senior center, was the difference maker in overtime, beginning with a clutch three-point play and later adding a reverse layup and two free throws. Garcia finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
Garcia spoke humbly about his overtime exploits and noteworthy opening night performance after the game.
“I was just trying to play basketball, not do anything different in overtime,” said Garcia. “The three-point play was a big play. It helped get us some momentum and a win. It was a hard-fought battle. Revere played very well. It’s a good start for our season.”
Garcia said he was happy to help deliver a win to Coach Avery in his debut.
“It’s great having a coach like Coach Avery,” said Garcia. “He’s really helped us become more united as a team.”
Classical senior Jayden Thornton, a terrific outside shooter, led all scorers with 20 points. Thornton scored the final two points in overtime on a nifty reverse layup.
Freshman Marquese Avery played very well, consistently breaking Revere’s press and delivering crisp passes to teammates. Avery showed tremendous poise in his first varsity game.
Jadden Gonzalez gave the Rams a big boost in the backcourt with his fine dribbling and passing skills. Tyler Wilson showed that he will be a major contributor this season with his accurate long-range shooting.
Avery said it was a very competitive basketball game.
“Basketball is a game of runs and we went on a run and at the end of the day, we prevailed in overtime,” said Avery. ‘I was very happy with the outcome in my first game at Classical. I have to say our big guy (Angel Garcia) took over the game in overtime. We’re jelling each day as a team and the sky’s the limit.”
Classical improved to 2-0 with a 68-61 win over Medford Tuesday night. Jadden Gonzalez led the way with 22 points. Angel Garcia was a force again with 18 points and 15 rebounds.”
Classical has a big test against Everett Friday night. “We’ll be well prepared and ready to go,” said Avery.