By Josh Nislick
The boys’ basketball team won its first game of the season Tuesday night, defeating the Lincoln Sudbury Warriors 50-36 and improving their record to 1-6.
Behind strong efforts from senior Barak Swarttz and junior Phil Levine-Caleb, South built an early lead and never relinquished it. Despite shooting woes in the first half, the Lions executed offensively down the stretch to pull away from a physical Lincoln Sudbury team.
The key for Newton South was airtight defense applied throughout the game as they limited the Warriors to 10 or fewer points in every quarter. Senior Zach Halpryn said that the team’s identity comes from protecting the hoop.
“Defense has been our staple for the last two years,” Halpryn said. “I think it’s our ability to clog the lanes when people drive and recover on the threes nicely.”
South also took advantage of fast break opportunities as Lincoln Sudbury turnovers often led to easy baskets. Swarttz, who scored five of his eight points in the fourth quarter, said that edging out Lincoln Sudbury was an important win for South.
“It was a battle for both teams, both trying to get our first win [in] the conference,” Swarttz said after the game. “Overall the bench stayed in it, the team stayed in it; it was a good win.”
Levine-Caleb and senior Jason Karys led the way for South with 13 and 10 points, respectively. Sam Casey was Lincoln Sudbury’s leading scorer, finishing the game with 11 points.
The Lions surged ahead in the first quarter, leading 18-9 by the end of the frame. After the Warriors scored 6 consecutive points to start the second quarter, the two teams struggled to hit shots, and South finished the first half clinging to a 23-19 advantage.
Halpryn noted that halftime adjustments were an important part of the game for South.
“[Coach] told us we needed to be more aggressive on the boards and we had to attempt more charges,” Halpryn said.
Karys provided an offensive spark with two consecutive layups in the third quarter, and senior Deion Arneaud, who scored 8 points, also contributed with key offensive rebounds.
Lincoln Sudbury narrowed the lead again in the fourth quarter, drawing to within three points and putting heavy pressure on the home Lions. After losing several close games earlier in the season, however, South refused to miss this opportunity. Swarttz spearheaded a furious offensive spurt, ending the game on a 15-4 run and sealing the team’s first victory.
“It was a confidence booster,” Halpryn said. “Everybody was happy. We have fought hard every game and we finally got a win.”
South’s next game is Friday afternoon at Cambridge Rindge and Latin.
