Even with the snow, the 14th Larry McIntire IAABO Board 130 Classic was played this past weekend at Marblehead High School. The tournament, which is named for the late Big East referee and longtime assigner for several high school leagues and the MIAA tournament, returned to Marblehead for the fourth year.
Peabody, Reading, Masconomet, and North Andover competed in girls basketball action, while Bishop Fenwick, Bedford, Marblehead, and Gloucester squared off in boys competition.
Masconomet took down Peabody, 45-41, in a nail-biter to win the girls championship. Tournament MVP Ava Allen hit a 3-pointer with 40 seconds left to give the Chieftains (18-2) the lead and drained two clutch free throws with 4.4 seconds left to ice it. Samia Lalikos scored 13 points, giving her 31 in two days. The Tanners (9-11) were led by Elizabeth Bettencourt (14 points) and Allyson Bettencourt (13).
Bedford defeated Gloucester, 61-52, to win the boys title. The Buccaneers entered with only two wins, but you would have never known it by the way they played. Tournament MVP Jacob Bayer scored 17 points and All-Tournament selection Mekhi Volcy added 14 as Bedford (4-15) captured its second straight tournament title. Nick Deleon scored 16 to lead the Fishermen (11-9).
As for Marblehead, which faced off against Bishop Fenwick in the consolation game, Finn Baron (16 points) and Matthew Sherf (14) combined for 30 points to lead the host Magicians (11-8). Baron was named to the All-Tournament Team, as was Bishop Fenwick’s Nate Allder, who had 13 points.
This year’s Larry McIntire IAABO Board 130 scholarship winners were Caitlin DeRosa of Reading and Brayden Francis of Gloucester.
