The Chelsea High boys basketball team found the Beverly Holiday Tournament anything but merry, as the Red Devils dropped both of their games in the tourney this past weekend.
Chelsea drew the host team in the tourney opener Friday night and came out on the short end of a 54-39 decision. The initial period was a defensive battle, with Beverly taking a 9-6 advantage at the first horn, but Chelsea fought back to take a 15-14 edge midway through the second frame. However, that would prove to be the apogee of the Red Devils’ effort on the evening. Beverly ran off 11 unanswered points to close out the half for a 25-15 lead at the intermission.
Chelsea fell behind by 14, 39-25 after three quarters, but managed to cut the gap to single digits in the final period. However, the Red Devils were unable to get over the hump despite their best attempts.
“Overall, we played well and I was pleased with the team’s hustle and intensity,” said CHS head coach Jay Seigal. “But Beverly is a strong and veteran club and once we fell behind, it was hard to get back into the game.”
Oscar Sabillon led the Red Devils with 13 points. Eric Flores was next on the point parade with seven, followed by Kevin Almeida and Jorge Ramos with six each, Eric Fernandez with four, Nelson Vega with two, and Victor Corrales with a free throw.
Seigal was not as pleased with his team’s performance the following evening against Bishop Fenwick in the tourney consolation contest. The Red Devils came out flat and never displayed the same level of determination that they had evidenced against Beverly.
“Fenwick was a team we probably should have beaten,” said Seigal. “But we never got into a flow. We seemed to be standing around. Our heads just weren’t in the game.”
Chelsea fell behind early, and though the gap remained in the range of 5-7 points throughout the game, the Red Devils never managed to make a breakthrough en route to a 55-44 defeat.
Flores paced Chelsea in the scoring department with 14 points and Sabillon reached double figures with 11. Corrales added seven, Almeida hit for six, and Guillermo Zelata, Eric Martinez, Albert Alicea, and Fernandez all contributed a bucket apiece.
The Red Devils, who now stand at 1-3 on the season, have a succession of three home games of which two will be against Commonwealth Conference opponents, starting with Lynn Tech this Friday for a 5:15 tip-off. Chelsea then will host Shawsheen Tech Tuesday at 7:00 and entertain former Greater Boston League foe Revere next Thursday at 7:00.