BROOKLINE, Mass. — Teagan Swint went to his left, took the contact and banked in a shot off the window for a three-point play, then let out a huge roar for all to hear inside a suddenly quiet Schluntz Gym.
With 90 seconds to go, a satisfying win for Newton North was essentially wrapped up.
The Tigers – No. 4 in our latest power rankings – knew this one wouldn’t be easy: on the road, in a hostile environment against their greatest Bay State Conference rival, an upstart Brookline squad hungry for a signature win. Even when they went up by double digits at halftime, they expected what happened as the Warriors came back to make it a one-possession game. But Newton North fought back, and leaned on each other.
The Tigers prevailed, 58-46, to stay undefeated and improve to 6-0 as they dug in defensively, hit some big shots and showed important resilience. In a season with high aspirations, Friday night’s tough win under difficult circumstances showed a lot about what Newton North could ultimately do come March.
“That was really good for my guys, on the road, to withstand that kind of thing,” Newton North head coach Paul Connolly said. “I’m starting three sophomores and they’re doing great. Making plays. I’m really proud of my guys.”
The Tigers, led by Swint, led by as many as 14 in the first half and took a 33-20 advantage into halftime. But they knew it was far from over. Connolly has been in too many battles with Brookline to think any differently.
“Any time we come over here, it’s always a war,” Connolly said. “It’s a physical, bloodbath kind of game like it was tonight. You know they’re going to make a run. … We’re up by 13, but they’re not just going to lie down. We’re not going to win by 20.”
The Warriors increased their defensive pressure and rallied. They cut their deficit to 42-39 after a big 3-pointer from sophomore Caleb Haynes with six minutes to go in the fourth quarter before the game spiraled into something of a helter-skelter mess. It got physical and it got scrappy, but Newton North ultimately emerged as the more poised team down the stretch. The Tigers went on a 14-2 run late to seal the win, a stretch that included a huge 3-pointer from sophomore Jake Lyons and fueled by connected defense that got them to the finish line.
“One of the staples of our team is playing hard,” Swint said. “When it got close at the end, we just had to lean on each other and turn up the intensity, keep fighting, keep playing hard. …
“When we keep fighting, we’re always going to find a way. We’re a super close team, we’ve been playing together for years, we know each other so well. When we’re playing well, when we’re playing together, we’re probably one of the best teams in MIAA, so I think when we keep leaning on each other and keep playing hard, we can persevere and win in tough environments.”
Let’s dive into the standouts from this game.
Caleb Haynes, Brookline
Class of 2027, 5-11 guard
Haynes had some important teaching moments in this game – which included a tough talk from head coach Johnny Williams after a defensive miscue – but he showed flashes of why he’s one of the more promising underclassmen in MIAA. He was opportunistic defensively, like when he picked Swint’s pocket and took it coast to coast for a layup, and made some big plays offensively as part of Brookline’s comeback. His 3 from the right wing cut the Warriors’ deficit to three in the fourth before a three-point play moments later kept them in it.
Alan Shi, Brookline
Class of 2025, 6-10 center
There simply aren’t many players in MIAA that possess Shi’s size, and he was a load for Newton North – which doesn’t have a player taller than the 6-foot-4 Swint – to handle. Shi had at least six blocks and altered several more shots at the rim, and he displayed impressive athleticism, agility and ball-handling for his size. On two of his blocks, he took the ball and pushed the ball coast to coast in transition, first finding teammate Seth Thompson for two and then laying it in himself. He demonstrated good footwork in the post, had some good touch passes and showed some toughness to fight through smaller defenders who were doing everything they could to make him uncomfortable and slow him down. There are certainly some raw elements to his game, but he showed why he’s one of the toughest matchups in MIAA.
Jake Lyons, Newton North
Class of 2027 guard
The lefty guard made some dazzling plays with the ball, including a behind-the-back dribble in transition that led to points and a spin move in the lane before finding Mathaios Stamm for a 3-pointer, and he did a little bit of everything in this win. He was a pest defensively as he forced several turnovers, and in the fourth quarter, he hit one of the biggest shots of the game. After missing several 3-pointers earlier in the game, Lyons trusted the faith of his teammates and coaches when he drilled a corner triple with a few minutes left that put Newton North up nine.
“He’s worked so hard on his shooting and his game, his skills and stuff,” Connolly said. “He missed a couple 3s early, and I keep telling him, those are good 3s. … He hit a big-time 3 in the corner. That was the game, and he’s done that in the last couple games, whether it’s scoring, a steal. He made a couple steals off the post. On his own, he instinctively went and double-teamed the post and stole the ball, that was huge.”
Lyons appreciated the trust he got despite his misses, which helped him deliver in a big spot.
“Confidence is everything, and I may not have had it in myself for a while during the game, but I know the coaching staff always gives me confidence, my teammates, Teagan, so that helped me,” Lyons said.
Mathaios Stamm, Newton North
Class of 2026 guard
Stamm, who finished with 15 points, always seemed to be in the right spots for scoring opportunities, whether it was finding space under the basket for a dump-off or staying active for several putback and second-chance opportunities.
Teagan Swint, Newton North
Class of 2025, 6-4 guard
NCAA: Johns Hopkins
Swint scored 16 of his game-high 23 points in the first half, which included three 3-pointers – with one coming from NBA range. He scored in a variety of ways, between smooth pull-up jumpers and strong drives to the basket. He was limited a bit in the second half as Brookline increased its pressure and threw some double teams at him, but he still found ways to be impactful in the late game-sealing run, which included a tough take with his left and the three-point play. Still, Connolly wants to see Swint continue to evolve in his playmaking.
“I’ve been coaching him a long time,” Connolly said. “He’s a scorer, a volume shooter, but he’s getting so much attention that he’s just gotta have a little better feel of (find the open guy). That’s going to get him easier touches and get him better shots, too.”
Quick shouts: Brookline senior guard Aaron Viola had 10 points and displayed an explosive first step and strong dribbling ability that was forcing pressure on the defense all game. … Brookline’s Ram Smith Jr., a junior forward, was instrumental in the Warriors’ comeback as they chipped away in the third quarter, a period in which he scored eight of his 11 points. It included an impressive hook shot going to his left. … Credit Newton North sophomore Bryson Mercedes for taking on the assignment of defending Shi in the post for most of the game despite a significant height disadvantage. He got into some foul trouble, but he certainly made Shi work for whatever he got.
