NORTH ANDOVER — Zach Wolinski ensured his teammates earned one more night in their home gymnasium.
Wolinski scored a game-high 29 points to lead No. 4 North Andover past No. 13 Newton North, 59-47, in the Div. 1 Round of 16 on Monday night at Crozer Gymnasium.
The Scarlet Knights will host the winner No. 5 Xaverian and No. 21 Methuen on Friday night in the Div. 1 State Quarterfinals.
“There is nothing better you can ask for. This is special,” Wolinski said. “Our goal was to get three home games and we got it. These are the best fans and the best community to play in front of and there’s nothing better than it.”
North Andover stifled Newton North for most of the evening, including most importantly in the game’s waning moments. Over the first six minutes of the fourth quarter the Tigers were held without a field goal. The Scarlet Knights held Newton North to 29-percent shooting for the game.
The game entered halftime even at 24 but Tigers star Teagan Swint (17 points, 11 rebounds) showed his talents in the opening minutes of the third quarter. Swint hit consecutive baskets, including a fall-away on the baseline, to give Newton North its first lead at 33-32 with 3:50 left in the third frame. Niko Catalano answered with a layup at the rim and Wolinski scored five points to help catapult North Andover to a 42-39 lead after three.
North Andover stretched its lead to begin the fourth with Catalano hitting at the rim before Wolinski buried his fifth triple of the night to make it 47-39. At the other end, meanwhile, the Scarlet Knights showcased its stifling defense holding the Tigers without a field goal until there was fewer than two minutes left. By the time Mathaios Stamn put home the first field goal of the stanza for the Tigers, the North Andover lead was at 52-41 with 1:30 left.
“We were trying to hold Teagan (Swint) as little points as we possibly could. I just thought we needed some separation and move the ball a little more,” North Andover coach Paul Tanglis said. “We started to do that towards the end of the third quarter and that was the difference.”
Wolinski started the game on fire hitting his first three triples to help give Newton North a 14-9 lead after one. North Andover’s lead stretched to seven on Wolinski’s fourth three-pointer of the night but Swint connected twice at the rim and banked home a three-pointer to pull the Tigers even going into halftime.