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Junior Lugo and the Salem boys basketball squad didn't cool off a bit yesterday against Haverhill. The senior scored a team-high 15 points as the Witches cruised by the Hillies 70-42.

"It was a close game after one, and we really turned the pressure up in the second quarter," said Salem coach Tom Doyle. "We were able to get a ton of steals, and that turned the tide."

Salem's 0-3? The Witches' lethargic start in boys basketball rasied some eyebrows in the Northeastern Confence.

"The players never hung their heads and or got down," Salem coach Tom Doyle said last night after the Witches (4-3) won their fourth in a row in an impressive 62-57 victory over Winthrop, 62-57, at Salem.

BEVERLY | There wasn't much the Salem boys basketball team could feel good about coming into the Henry Cabot Lodge Fieldhouse last night.

Losers of three of their first four games, the visiting Witches also had to deal with the proposition of battling a Beverly team amped up on the return of senior forward Matt Tobin without two of their own starters.

The death last week of Salem's Peter Doyle, the Salem State Hall of Fame player (1958), basketball guru and father of current Salem High coach Tommy Doyle, triggered an emotional memory from Swampscott coach Paul Moran.

The Tanners outlasted Salem last night 56-53 in overtime to send their fans home happy from the Veterans Memorial fieldhouse.

Peabody controlled last nights action for the first three quarters, 39-25, without much resistance from Salem as both teams looked to pick up their first win of the young season. "We played great defensively in the first half. Anytime you hold a talented team like that to 11 points for a half that's great," said Peabody's head coach Chris Mastrangelo.

Opening night in high school basketball is all about excitement, shaking off the jitters and playing as hard as you possibly can.

Salem High played tenaciously and unevenly in a 69-56 Northeastern Conference loss to Lynn English last night, but there was absolutely nothing normal about this game for the Witches, who were missing their greatest fan and quiet confidence builder in Peter Doyle.

Last year's record: 16-6

Coach: Tom Doyle (5th season)

Key returnees: Chris Maxson, 5-10, Sr., G; Junior Lugo, 5-10, Sr., G; Chris Dunston, 6-1, Jr., F.

Strengths: Salem will put pressure on opposing teams with its speed and the guard play of Maxson and Lugo. Dunston came on strong last season, averaging 10 points and 10 rebounds down the stretch. Look for Beau Theriault to help, too. He's a scrappy senior guard who got limited minutes last season.