Spartan tourney has top field
St. Mary's of Lynn has assembled a stellar field for the inaugural Spartan Classic girls' basketball tournament, which will take place Feb. 19 and 20 at the school's Tony Conigliaro Gymnasium. Among the eight high school teams competing is top-ranked Andover, which headlines the Division 1 portion of the tournament's schedule. The Golden Warriors, a perennial power in Eastern Massachusetts, will be challenged by defending Division 2 North champion Gloucester, as well as Needham and Barnstable in the top half of the draw. In the Division 2 portion of the tournament, host St. Mary's will be joined by Lynn English, Arlington, and East Boston.
''We are extremely excited about hosting an event of this size," said Jeff Newhall, the coach at St. Mary's. ''The teams that have committed to this tournament will make it one of the top girls' basketball showcases of the high school season."
The tournament will tip off at 2 p.m. Feb. 19 with St. Mary's battling East Boston. Arlington and Lynn English will follow at 4 p.m. Gloucester will take on Barnstable at 6 p.m., and Andover will face Needham in the nightcap at 8 p.m. The winners will play in their respective championship games on Feb. 20, starting at 6 p.m. The consolation games will precede the title games, beginning at 2 p.m.
Lowe shoots past 1,000 points
Hailee Lowe is believed to be the first girls' basketball player in Hamilton-Wenham Regional High history to reach the 1,000-point mark. The senior center scored 9 points in the Generals' 55-24 victory over Manchester Essex Regional on Jan. 24 to give her 1,004 for her career. Athletic director Don Doucette said the school's records are incomplete, so he can't verify that Lowe is the only girl to reach the milestone. Through 14 games, Lowe was averaging 15.2 points per game. While as a basketball player Lowe has shown a talent for putting the ball in the net, she's also adept at keeping it out in another of her sports. She earned Cape Ann League All-Star honors as the goaltender on the Hamilton-Wenham soccer team last fall. Her play in net was one of the primary reasons the Generals advanced to the Division 3 state title game, where they lost in a shootout to Hopedale.
Ipswich widens division lead
Ipswich now has the inside track on the Cape Ann League Division 3 girls' basketball crown. The Tigers scored back-to-back victories over five-time defending CAL Division 3 champion Lynnfield last week to open up a three-game lead in the standings. Ipswich (10-2 in the division, 11-3 overall entering the week) rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit to down Lynnfield, 44-41, at home on Jan. 24. Freshman Amber Smith had 19 points and 14 rebounds for Ipswich. The Tigers completed the sweep last Friday with a 64-56 victory. Smith again led the way with 20 points and eight rebounds.
Lynn Classical has top scorers
The Lynn Classical boys' basketball team boasted the top two scorers in the Northeastern Conference entering the week. Junior Roberto Vellon led the way at 18.9 points per game and teammate Vince Spence was second at 16.7. Along with point guard Jeff Watson, they are among the main reasons Classical stood atop the NEC North Division standings with a 9-1 conference mark (11-4 overall). The Rams seized control of the NEC North with a hard-fought 68-67 win over previously undefeated Salem on Jan. 20.
Christopher L. Gasper can be reached via e-mail at cgasper@globe.com. 
