Lorenzo Jackson went from bench warmer to Div. 3 state champ for Archies boys basketball
LOWELL – Archbishop Williams forward Lorenzo Jackson may not be the team's leading scorer, but he was one of the biggest keys in the Bishops' tournament run to a Division 3 state championship.
The 6-5 senior captain from East Bridgewater finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists in Saturday's 76-71 title-game win over St. Mary’s (Lynn) at Tsongas Center.
Just a round before, Jackson hit a game-winning buzzer-beater against Cardinal Spellman in the Final Four. Before that, he had a 27-point second half in a comeback win over Oakmont High in the third round.
The big man steps up when the lights shine brightest, plain and simple.
“He’s really stepped up in the past few games as far as his offense and being a leader,” said Archies coach Brian Holden. “When you look at the first half (of the championship game) he made big couple of 3s and drives. I think he set the tone for us. I’ve got nothing but admiration for what he does.”
The championship game was never a complete lock despite top-seeded Archies (24-1) being up at halftime 31-19. In the layup lines, Jackson kept repeating the same phrase over and over to his team before the second half began.
“We had one phrase, ‘We’re down,'” said Jackson. “We were playing like we were down so we could play as hard as we possibly could. Because if we got comfortable we would’ve got blown out. They would’ve smacked us in the mouth.”
Despite the inspiring words, No. 2 St. Mary’s (19-8) still fought their way back to within single digits. However, fellow senior captain Josh Campbell, of Plymouth, led the way with 34 points and 6 blocks to fend off the charge. His 13-of-14 free-throw shooting (including 6-of-6 in the fourth quarter) was key in the clutch.
“Josh, that’s my man,” said Jackson. “That was big. He hit shots when we needed to hit them. He hit free throws when we needed to hit 'em, and he’s the leader of this team. Couldn’t thank that guy enough.”
Now Campbell and Jackson are part of school history, winning a title for the first time ever. But when Jackson first stepped into the Archbishop Williams halls, he had no idea what he would be capable of.
“Sophomore year I transferred here not really playing that much," he said. "I did not think I’d be here (celebrating a state title), but (thanks to) hard work we got here."
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Lorenzo Jackson goes out a winner for Archies boys basketball
