Connor Chiarello and Teddy O’Neill combined to score 51 points as the Swampscott High School boys basketball team erased a 16-point deficit to beat Nantucket High School 67-61 in overtime in a round of 32 state tournament game on Saturday.
After starting the game slowly and entering the locker room at halftime trailing by 12 points, an advantageous third quarter gave the Big Blue the momentum they needed to survive and advance to the round of 16.
Chiarello and O’Neill scored 26 and 25 points respectively in the victory. Last week, Swampscott Head Coach Jason Knowles dubbed the duo the “heartbeat of the team.”
Out of all of the baskets made by the pair, none was bigger than a three-pointer by O’Neill to give Swampscott a 60-58 lead in overtime. The Big Blue would maintain their lead until the final buzzer sounded.
Swampscott trailed for nearly the entire duration of the game. After three and a half quarters of playing from behind, sophomore Michael Lutko nailed a three-pointer with under 3 minutes left in regulation to give the Big Blue its first lead of the game. Nantucket’s lead peaked at 16 points in the second quarter.
A number of Nantucket turnovers and mistakes along with fast break chances for Chiarello allowed Swampscott to creep back into the game in the third quarter. Entering the fourth quarter, the Big Blue had trimmed their deficit to just three points.
It looked as if the Big Blue were on their way to the next round when Chiarello scored again with under a minute left, but Nantucket had other ideas. Trailing by three, Whaler senior Gaven Smith made a three-pointer with just 8 seconds left in regulation to tie the game and force overtime before the Big Blue eventually sealed the victory.
“The win was a testament to resilience,” Knowles said.
As Chiarello and O’Neill stuffed the score sheet, another Swampscott player made a crucial impact on the defensive end.
“When Will Rowe entered the game, the atmosphere changed,” said Knowles. “Rowe harassed the Nantucket guards relentlessly, forcing multiple tie-ups and key rebounds. His energy disrupted the Whalers rhythm.”
Swampscott allowed just 19 points in the second half after allowing 36 in the first half.
The fourth-seeded Big Blue awaits 13th seed Norwell High School, who beat 20th seed Falmouth High School in the round of 16. Swampscott will host the game at a date and time to be determined due to its higher seed.
The first playoff box is checked for a Big Blue team with state championship aspirations. The team will have to win four more games in order to become the first Swampscott team in history to win a state title in boys basketball.
