Third quarter surge key in undefeated Amesbury’s 44-30 win over Triton

(Byfield MA) Amesbury (11-0) remains unbeaten after defeating Triton, 44-30, on Monday night in Cape Ann League action.

This game was anything but pretty as the two teams combined for forty-three turnovers and nineteen missed free throws.

How did Amesbury win?  The Indians had a 19-3 third quarter.  Flannery O’Connor (16 points) had ten points and two assists in the breakaway frame.  The Vikings (6-4), meanwhile, had seven turnovers in that same quarter and didn’t score at all in the final four minutes.

The run of good offense/defense by Amesbury brightened a dismal 18-18 first half for both teams.

Triton “won” the other three quarters but certainly not the crucial third quarter and that cost the home team.

Another factor in the Indians’ victory was the denial defense Maddie Napoli played on Tessa Lafrance.  Tessa did get fifteen points but eight of them were in the final quarter.

Outside accuracy was almost non-existent for both teams.  Amesbury found layups off turnovers and rebound breakouts.

It turned out that Amesbury had an excellent 2-2-1 pressing defense but because of their infrequent baskets we didn’t see much of it in the first half.

Late in the third period, however, was a different story, as AHS turned pressure into points.  The Indians closed the 3^rd quarter with ten straight points.  Flannery had eight of those points; two of them off Triton turnovers, one on a full-court layup, and a 4^th on a feed from Ali Napoli.

Given the opportunity in the first half to function without facing full-court pressure, Triton was much more comfortable.  They passed the ball and they saw to it that Erin Savage was in a position to make plays.

Defensively in the first half, the Vikings forced long shots and really swallowed up Amesbury penetrations.

At halftime, you didn’t know how the second half might go.  The Indians, however, did play most of the first half without foul-plagued Flannery.  The sophomore certainly made a difference in the third quarter.  She can rebound, pass, and score inside.

One scary moment in this game was when Maddie Napoli dove into the stands to save a ball.  Maddie collided with a man holding a baby as she saved the ball to her sister Ali.  Ali made a layup while Maddie made sure that things were okay in the stands…….and they were.

Amesbury came into this game averaging sixty-four points per outing.

Amesbury matched last season’s win total with their eleventh win.

The Vikings had won four straight before losing their last two.

The undefeated Indians have yet to face Pentucket, Newburyport, and Manchester-Essex.  All of those teams have winning records.

Amesbury’s next game is Tuesday hosting non-league Stoneham.

Triton visits Essex Tech on Wednesday.

Julia LaMontagne had five baskets and four of them were off feeds from Flannery O’Connor.

Triton box from the game

Amesbury box from the game

(All the pictures above and below will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)