RallyNorth.net

Wed, Dec 22, 2010 07:45 PM @ Neutral Location

Team	1	2	3	4	Final
Greater Lawrence	16	22	11	12	61
Pinkerton	8	17	13	18	56

Reggies survive huge rally to topple state champion Astros

Wednesday, December, 22 By Michael Muldoon
Staff writer

LAWRENCE — Greater Lawrence Tech was hit by a tidal wave and lived to tell about it.

In a game marked by brilliant highs and brutal lows, the Reggies held off Pinkerton, 61-56, last night in first-round action at the Greater Lawrence Christmas Tourney.

It was an historic win for two reasons. First, the Astros are the defending Class L state champions. Second, it is only the Reggies' second appearance in the semis in the last 25 years.

Playing near flawless basketball, Greater Lawrence (2-2) went up by a stunning 49-27 margin on Donald Celestin's steal and tomahawk dunk with four minutes to play in the third quarter.

The Astros (1-1) looked like they were down for the count, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Led by 6-5 junior Alex Patrikis (13 of his team-high 19 in the second half) and junior guard Kevin Colbert (12 of his 18 after intermission), they went on a massive 22-2 run over the next 6:54 to cut the margin to 2.

How many small-school teams could dig deep in the face of such an onslaught? Perhaps not many, but the Reggies did. 

Irving Moreno scored on a drive, Joey Rivera-Falcone (game-high 25 points) went coast-to-coast for a hoop and following a Kevin Colbert 3-pointer, Rivera-Falcone drove for another hoop and converted a back-breaking offensive rebound.

"After Donald's dunk, instead of the intensity picking up, it dropped," noted Reggie coach Dan Habib. "Pinkerton kept battling."

Habib reassured it's players: "The ball is going to fall! The ball is going to fall!"

It certainly did for Falcone-Rivera, a 5-10 junior who is putting up all-star numbers.

"It's called heart," said Falcone-Rivera, who beat his previous career high of 24 points, which he got last Friday vs. Lynn Tech. "Never give up. It starts in the heart. I didn't want to force anything, but you have to do what you have to do. This means a lot. This means it's going to be a good Christmas! I think we can go to the finals. Anything is possible."

Habib said,  "He made some big plays. We need him to score. We can't just rely on Donald. We persevered. The kids just hung in."

Now they are hanging with the big boys with a chance to make the Christmas Tourney finals.

 

 

Greater Lawrence Christmas tourney
All games at Lawrence High

Last Night's Games

Game 1: North Andover 73, Salem 49; Game 2: Greater Lawrence 61, Pinkerton 56

Tonight's Games

Game 3: Andover vs. Methuen, 6 p.m.; Game 4: Lawrence vs. Central Catholic, 7:45 p.m
Tuesday, Dec. 28
Game 5 (consolation): Salem vs. Pinkerton, 2:30 p.m.; Game 6 (consolation): Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 4:15 p.m.; Game 7 (semifinal): North Andover vs. Greater Lawrenc, 6 p.m.; Game 8 (semifinal): Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 7:45 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 30
7th-place game: Game 5 loser vs. Game 6 loser, 2:30 p.m.; 5th-place game: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 4:15 p.m.; 3rd-place game: Game 7 loser vs. Game 8 loser, 6 p.m.; Championship game: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 8 p.m.

 

Tourney sked.....

last time semis....

 

 

 

Greater Lawrence Tech survived a 22-2 second-half run and found just enough late offense to beat defending Class L champion Pinkerton, 61-56, in the opening round of the Greater Lawrence Christmas Tourney.

Joey Rivera-Falcone was immense with 25 points and Donald Celestin added 14. The Reggies will play North Andover in the semifinals.