Monthly Archives: February 2022

February 11, 2022 · 1:08 am

Pentucket wins CAL title 63-45 over Newburyport

(Newburyport MA) “Everyone did their job, and it was fun to watch,” said Pentucket coach John McNamara afterwards.

Fun for the team from West Newbury for sure, as they defeated Newburyport, 63-45, in a big-stakes Cape Ann League game on Thursday night.

The win gave the Sachems (13-2) the CAL Kinney Division title.

“They won by ten last time,” said Abby Dube (19 points), “and we’ve been working so hard to beat them.”

The Clippers (14-2) started well. Olivia McDonald’s three put them up, 11-5. Later, two baskets by Makenna Ward (19 points) in the last minute extended the NHS lead to, 18-10, at the end of the quarter.

The Clippers were making shots and gathering offensive rebounds when they didn’t.

It took a backup defense and some life off the bench to turn things around for Pentucket.

“We don’t use that zone defense a lot, but we did tonight and I think it got them out of their rhythm,” said Coach McNamara.

The offensive rebounds decreased for the Clippers and their top scorer (Emma Foley) had to deal with multiple defenders on each possession.

“We put the first quarter behind us and played to win the next three quarters,” said Abby Dube.

The pleasant surprises off the bench were Bethany Cloutier and Ava DiBurro.

Bethany gave Pentucket its first lead of the game (22-21) with an old-fashioned three-point play with two minutes left in the second quarter.

Ava (11 points) was the biggest surprise of all. In the most important game of the season, she came in, fit in, and produced points.

“Ava’s a talented kid,” said Coach McNamara. “We’ve been waiting for this to happen. Ava sure picked a great night to have a breakout game. She has good finishing skills.”

Pentucket led by four, 26-22, at the half.

The Clippers got a terrific start to the second half. They regained the lead (27-26) after just a minute.

But an Abby Dube layup put Pentucket back in front (28-27) thirty seconds later and they would build on that lead the rest of the way.

A big problem for the home team in the third quarter was foul trouble. Both Makenna Ward and Emma Foley (10 points) picked up their 4^th fouls and lost time on the floor. Both girls can score and defend, and the Clippers lost a lot in both categories with them on the bench.

Pentucket pushed their advantage to six (33-27) in the third quarter on two Alyssa Thompson (10 points) free throws.

With Makenna on the bench for the final two minutes of the quarter, the Sachems turned that six-point lead into a twelve-point lead (46-34) by the end of the quarter. Lana Mickelson contributed two layups and Abby Dube nailed a jump shot just before the quarter-ending buzzer.

Early in the final quarter, Makenna Ward and Deirdre McElhinney (10 points) hit consecutive three’s to cut the Pentucket lead to nine (50-41) with 6 ½ minutes left. A quick timeout by Coach McNamara was followed by eleven straight points by the Sachems. Ava DiBurro finished the run with two straight inside scores giving Pentucket a twenty-point lead (61-41).

Newburyport was undefeated at home (7-0) before tonight’s loss.

Emma Lopata: “We had really good energy from start to finish. The team is always supportive of each other.”

Abby Dube: “It felt amazing to win this one. We knew we could do it.”

Audrey Conover: “It was definitely a high-energy game. I think that our defense was the key tonight. Abby (Dube) really pulled through on offense. She was making everything.”

Alyssa Thompson: “We started off slow. We talked at halftime about working together as a team. We then passed the ball more.”

Ava DiBurro: “We really wanted to beat them. I just tried to do what the team needed me to do. I’m playing better, but there are things I need to work on.”

Coach McNamara: “Newburyport is a good team. They should make a deep run in the tournament. From the second quarter on we played really good basketball. We took care of the ball, and we minimized our turnovers.”

Great crowd from both schools. The crowd was mostly adults. Absent, but not missed by me, was the chanting that goes on when the crowd is dominated by students.

Both teams are in Division 2. Back in the day, only one of them could have made it out of the North sectionals. That changes now with the MIAA state-wide power rankings determining the seeding. Pentucket is currently listed behind Newburyport in those rankings but that will change after tonight’s game.

Pentucket 10 16 20 17 = 63

Newburyport 18 4 12 11 = 45

(The pictures will enlarge.)

Audrey Conover guarded by Olivia McDonald

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Tagged as Alyssa Thompson, Audrey Conover, Ava DiBurro, Coach John McNamara, Emma Foley, Emma Lopata, MaKenna Ward

February 9, 2022 · 11:31 pm

Triton gets important win over Saugus 66-53

Quintin McHale excelled on both offense (31 points) and defense

(Byfield MA) “This was our best win of the season,” said Triton senior Quintin McHale.

The Vikings were 6-9 and had lost three of their last four games. Their tournament chances (need to win ten games) were fading.

But tonight they put everything together and got a well-played win over non-league Saugus, 66-53, on Wednesday night.

Quintin was impressive on offense and defense. He hurt the Sachems (6-8) inside and outside collecting thirty-one points. Defensively he limited the Sachems’ top scorer (Tyrone Manderson) to seven points.

The Vikings gained double-digit separation in the second quarter and never allowed the team from the Northeastern Conference to get closer.

Triton had a four-point lead (20-16) with five minutes left in the second quarter. Over the next three minutes, the Vikings shut out the Sachems and went on an 11-0 run.

The contributors in the separation segment were Dylan Wilkinson and Griff Dupuis with three’s, an old-fashioned 3-point play by Quintin, and a layup by Ethan Tate.

That collection of good defense and offense boosted the home team’s advantage to 31-16.

“We got off to a slow start,” said Saugus coach Joe Bertrand afterwards. “They made a lot of shots, and we couldn’t keep up with them tonight.” Saugus has now lost six straight.

The visitors outscored Triton by two points over the rest of the game but could never get inside of double figures.

The Vikings pushed their lead to twenty points (54-34) in the third quarter on a Nick Dupuis three-pointer.

However, Ben Tapia-Gately (17 points) and Ryan Mabee (11 points) helped Saugus reduce that 20-point deficit to closer to ten points after that.

“The ball movement tonight was really good,” said junior Ethan Tate (9 points). “Everyone was unselfish which I think was a key to the win.”

The Vikings handled pressure well because their passing was excellent.

“We shared the ball well,” said Triton coach Ted Schruender afterwards, “and we rebounded well.”

“Nick (Dupuis) had a very good game,” Coach Schruender added. “He’s not usually a scorer but he hustles and plays good defense.”

Tonight Nick handled the ball a lot without turnovers and scored some points. “Sometimes you do the little things,” Nick told me afterwards. “Tonight I had a chance to do bigger things. It felt good to contribute.”

“Our point guards did a nice job of moving the ball,” said Quintin.

“You never know how it’s going to go,” added Quintin. “If things don’t go well inside you have to try to get points from long range. If you’re missing out there you have to move inside.”

On this night, Quintin had it going from both places. He made five three’s.

Saugus played a lot of zone defense, and with Triton’s quick passing there were open shots available. The Vikings totaled ten three-pointers.

The win tonight was special, but the Vikings have work to do to qualify for tourney play. “We’ve got four games left and we need three of them,” said Nick.

“We have to finish strong,” added Ethan.

Dylan Wilkinson was held scoreless in the first quarter but gathered fourteen points the rest of the way.

Ethan Tate: “We were able to shut down their best player #24 (Tyrone Manderson). Q (Quintin) was able to step up and lock him down all night.”

Triton 14 22 18 12 = 66

Saugus 14 8 19 12 = 53

(The pictures will enlarge.)

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Tagged as Ben Tapia-Gately, Dylan Wilkinson, Ethan Tate, Nick Dupuis, Quintin McHale, Ryan Mabee, Tyrone Manderson

February 9, 2022 · 12:03 am

Amesbury downs Manchester-Essex 58-38

(Amesbury MA) “We couldn’t find the basket and they couldn’t miss,” said Manchester-Essex coach Lauren Dubois.

“We came out on fire,” said Amesbury coach Gregg Dollos.

The Indians (13-3) put the Hornets (3-12) away early and coasted to a, 58-38, win on Tuesday night.

Amesbury played a tight half-court, man-to-man defense and didn’t hesitate to initiate fast breaks. In their half-court offense, the passes were quick, and the layups and open looks were plentiful.

“We’ve been slowing down and not moving the ball enough lately,” explained senior McKenna Hallinan afterwards. “We want to pass quickly and get open shots and that’s what we did tonight.”

The Indians got off to an impressive 12-0 lead in the first 4 ½ minutes. Senior Liv DeLong was the key in the fast start. Liv nailed a jump shot (from McKenna), a layup (from Avery Hallinan), and then put in a rebound.

Emma Fitzgerald broke the ice for the Hornets and then Amesbury went off on another run of unanswered points.

This time it was fifteen straight. Avery Hallinan and Gabby Redford did most of the scoring damage for the Indians.

Avery found room in the lane for four layups. Gabby put in a rebound, connected on a three (from Sami Kimball), and hit a runner in the lane.

Avery finished the night with eighteen points while Gabby led all scorers with twenty-two points.

“They’re a great team with a lot of weapons on the offensive end,” said ME coach Lauren Dubois.

“They went box-and-one on Avery, but other players scored and then Avery started to score,” recalled Coach Dollos.

“We did what we had to do,” he added.

The two long runs of consecutive offense by Amesbury put them in front, 27-2, early in the second quarter. The Hornets didn’t have the firepower on this evening to get much closer. Both coaches substituted liberally thereafter.

“We have been trying to fix the problems we’ve been having,” said McKenna. “We want to make fewer mistakes with the playoffs coming up.”

The Indians are in Division 4 and according to the most recent MIAA power ratings are in third place. The top thirty-two teams make the playoffs. The higher seeds get the crucial home games in tourney play.

I asked McKenna about her sister reaching 1000 points: “It was great that Avery got 1000. I got to assist on the basket that she got it on and that was the best part.”

Coach Dubois: “We wanted to make sure that we were fighting all the way through tonight and we were.”

The Hornets have beaten Swampscott twice and also have a win over Georgetown.

Amesbury has won five straight.

Amesbury 23 19 10 6 = 58

ME 2 17 9 10 = 38

(The pictures will enlarge.)

Amelia Donnellan splits two Amesbury defenders

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Tagged as Avery Hallinan, Coach Gregg Dollos, Coach Lauren Dubois, Gabby Redford, Liv DeLong, McKenna Hallinan

February 7, 2022 · 11:15 pm

Pentucket defeats Triton 60-16

Audrey Conover had a big game on offense and defense

Alyssa Thompson (13 points) guards Isabella Basile

(Byfield MA) It was a tough night for Triton.

“They’re a powerhouse,” said Vikings coach Bryan Shields afterwards.

Pentucket turned in a dominating performance and came away with a, 60-16, win on Monday night.

“We did really well,” said Pentucket coach John McNamara post-game. Not a soul who watched the game would argue otherwise!

“Our defense set the tone,” added Coach McNamara, “and our transition got us layups.”

The Vikings struggled in the backcourt after getting double-teamed and numerous turnovers/layups followed.

The Sachems also were quick to press for scores after getting possession in the frontcourt.

Even when forced to run halfcourt offense Pentucket (11-2) was textbook perfect against Triton’s zone defense.

“Their zone forced us to pass the ball more since you can’t drive against a zone,” explained Pentucket junior Audrey Conover afterwards.

And pass they did. There were cross-court passes to open teammates on the weakside. There were give-and-go layups and there were inbound passes for layups.

Maeve Heffernan guards Lana Mickelson (12 points)

“The kids were passing up a shot to get a better shot,” said Coach McNamara. “They were really unselfish. It was fun to watch.”

Almost every basket had an assist attached to it unless it was a breakaway off a turnover.

The Sachems took the mystery out of this game early racing ahead, 14-0, after four minutes. The visitors took three turnovers in for layups and had two three’s (Abby Dube and Gabby Bellacqua) in the breakaway start.

Molly Kimball finally ended the Triton scoring drought with a free throw and later added a three-point shot before the quarter was over.

The quarter ended with the score, 23-4.

The Pentucket halfcourt defense was extra tough in the second quarter. Most of the Triton movement in the frontcourt was sideways with few direct lines to the hoop. Maeve Heffernan scored in the last minute for the only Vikings basket of the quarter.

Pentucket led, 39-6, at the half.

“They defend well, and they rotate well,” said Coach Shields, “and they can all score.”

“Playing Pentucket will make us better,” added Coach Shields. “You don’t gain as much playing weaker competition. We want to be ready for the tournament.”

The Vikings are 8-8 with four games left. “We’ve got winnable games ahead,” said Coach Shields. “Three of the teams (North Reading, Saugus, and Manchester-Essex) we beat the first time around.”

Pentucket has a big game ahead on Thursday night at Newburyport. “They are a good team and they beat us pretty good the first time,” said Coach McNamara. “Right now, however, I’m thinking about Senior Night tomorrow night and that game (North Reading).”

Alyssa Thompson (13), Lana Mickelson (12), and Gabby Bellacqua (11) reached double figures for Pentucket.

Coach McNamara: “The key to the win tonight was the excellent passing of Audrey (Conover).”

Pentucket 23 16 14 7 = 60

Triton 4 2 5 5 = 16

(The pictures will enlarge.)

Abby Dube and Alyssa Thompson double-team Isabella Basile

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Tagged as Alyssa Thompson, Audrey Conover, Gabby Bellacqua, Lana Mickelson, Molly Kimball

February 6, 2022 · 12:55 pm

North Reading defeats Amesbury 68-55

Cody Cannalonga (28 points) had a memorable evening

Cody Cannalonga reached 1000 points for the Hornets

(Boston MA) Neither team had been playing well lately.

North Reading had lost three straight.

Amesbury had dropped three of their last four.

But that all changed for North Reading last night.

Under the bright lights of the Boston Garden the Hornets played, as Coach Joe Casey described it, “their best game of the season.”

Their defense was tight, and their offense flowed smoothly.

Along the way, senior Cody Cannalonga (28 points) crossed into the 1000-point club at North Reading.

The smooth senior needed fourteen points and he had those in the first half, getting the 1000^th on a free throw.

No celebrating then but before the second half resumed the Garden announcer noted Cody’s accomplishment and he was duly recognized by the North Reading crowd, many of whom were there for this moment.

“Hollywood couldn’t have written a better script for us,” said Coach Casey afterwards. “It was a perfect night for us and one that our kids will remember the rest of their lives.”

The Hornets (6-6) took the lead early, 6-5, on an Andrew Boulas layup 4 ½ minutes into the game and never trailed after that.

North Reading broke out on Amesbury misses and made open shots.

“They had more energy than we did, and we didn’t make shots,” said Amesbury coach Tom Comeau post-game.

Matt Welch chased by Quinn Riesenberg in front of Coach Casey

The keys to success against the Indians (8-7) are containing next-level talents Cam Keliher and Matt Welch. The Hornets were onto that tonight.

“The early lead gave us some confidence,” said Coach Casey. “We really focused in on (Cam) Keliher and (Matt) Welch and did a really good job with them.”

“They played Matty and Cam real tough defensively and we didn’t have answers for it,” said Coach Comeau.

That “tough” defense truly kicked in during the second quarter when both players were held scoreless, and the Indians were limited to only eight points.

Senior Cody Cannalonga chose that quarter to go off against Amesbury registering twelve points. His three-pointer in the last minute pushed the NR lead to double-figures (34-23).

Two free throws later, Cody joined the North Reading 1000-point club.

“Cody is a coach’s dream,” said Coach Casey. “He is selfless and a good student. He is an excellent leader and he comes from a terrific family. He’s also only the third player in school history to score 1000 points.”

Cody will be going to Villanova where Coach Casey told me that Cody would be, “an intramural All-Star unless Villanova basketball coach Jay Wright finds out about him.”

The Hornets carried the double-digit lead throughout the second half. Amesbury was able to get within ten points (62-52) late in the final quarter but no closer.

The score separation enabled both coaches to clear their benches and give all their players the Garden “experience.”

Coach Comeau reflected on the bigger picture: “It was a great experience for the kids and I’m glad we could give it to them. Everyone got on the floor. Everyone got to enjoy it. Twenty years from now they won’t care if they won or lost. It’ll be, ‘I played at the Garden.’”

Senior Quinn Riesenberg had eighteen points for North Reading including eight in the fast-start first quarter. “It was the best game he’s played,” said Coach Casey.

It was interesting to be covering a game at the Garden this time of year. Why? Usually, when I’m at the Garden it is for tournament games but this was just a regular-season Cape Ann League game…….. in a very special setting.

“The loss wasn’t the end of the line at all,” said Coach Comeau. “We do, however, have to get the ship right pretty quick.” Ten wins assures a team of a tournament berth. The Indians have eight wins with five games left.

The North Reading/Amesbury game was part of a ten-game, all-day event called the Andrew James Lawson Foundation Invitational.

Some of the features I noticed, and was impressed with were, (1) the halftimes in which kids from the participating teams were allowed supervised to play on the court, and (2) team photos taken afterwards at center court.

I am suspecting that there will be many schools wanting to return next year to this event and others, on the outside, looking into getting involved next year.

Special thanks, from me, to Coach Comeau for allowing me to ride on the team bus.

North Reading 21 15 15 17 = 68

Amesbury 17 8 12 18 = 55

(The pictures will enlarge.)

Cam Keliher (11 points) puts up a tough shot

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Tagged as Cam Keliher, Coach Joe Casey, Coach Tom Comeau, Cody Cannalonga, Matt Welch, Quinn Riesenberg

February 3, 2022 · 12:02 am

Jac Doucette (32 points) leads Phillips Exeter past Governor’s 55-47

Jac Doucette carried Phillips Exeter with thirty-two points

(Byfield MA) Somebody was going to put an end to a very long losing streak.

On this evening, it was Phillips Exeter.

The Big Red defeated Governor’s, 55-47.

“We’ve been needing this one for a while,” said Phillips Exeter coach Katie Brule post-game.

Coach Brule’s team opened their season with a win over Milton Academy on December 8^th. Nine straight losses had followed.

The problem had been scoring points. “This was the first game we’ve scored over thirty-five points in a while,” added Coach Brule.

Junior Jac Doucette (32 points) had a huge game for the visitors.

Jac was shut out in the second quarter but was a reliable source of points in the other quarters with drives to the basket.

“It was exciting for our team to get a win,” said Jac afterwards. “We had lots of energy and we were composed.”

Two minutes into the game Jac had eight points and the Govs’ team had five points.

The visitors from New Hampshire carried their lead into the second quarter (24-18) with 5 ½ minutes left. Then the Govs defense took over and shut down Phillips Exeter (2-9) for the rest of the quarter. Three’s by Fiona Neilon (10 points) and Amanda Hill (11 points) keyed ten straight Govs’ points and they had a 28-24 halftime lead.

Fiona Neilon (10 points) guarded by Amelia Byerly

Junior Hayle Thompson played some tough, shutdown defense on Jac Doucette during the run of excellent Govs offense/defense in the second quarter.

“She had some good blocks,” recalled Jac.

After 2 ½ minutes into the second half, Govs were up by seven, 35-28, after Amanda Hill’s second three-pointer. The Big Red looked to be in a lot of trouble.

But suddenly everything came together for Phillips Exeter. Jac caught fire again and her team put thirteen unanswered points together. Jac had eleven of those points including a 3-pointer. Down went Govs, 41-35, and they now looked like the team in trouble.

Amelia Byerly added to the visitor’s momentum by connecting on a last-second, desperation half-court shot. The Phillips Exeter lead was, 44-37, after three quarters.

The Govs weren’t about to quit. Consecutive inside scores by Gracie Augustine moved them within one possession, 46-44, with five minutes left in the game.

But Jac answered with a three from the top of the key.

Fiona Neilon then responded with an old-fashioned three-point play and Govs were again within one possession with four minutes left.

But Governor’s wouldn’t score another point.

Meanwhile, Jac drove the lane twice for baskets and a Bridgette Martin layin sealed the deal for Phillips Exeter, 55-47.

“We had solid efforts from Emma Liu and Bridgette Martin today,” said Coach Brule.

Jac had a ton of success going to her left to the basket today. “I’m still working on going to the right,” she said.

This is Jac’s first year at Phillips Exeter. “The academics have been hard, and we get plenty of work, but I really like it there,” she added.

Three of Jac’s former teammates at Newburyport High School (Deirdre McElhinney, Emma Foley, and Makenna Ward) took in the game today.

The Govs (2-8) have now lost seven straight.

Phillips Exeter 21 3 20 11 = 55

Governor’s 15 13 9 10 = 47

(The pictures will enlarge.)

Jac Doucette guarded by Gracie Augustine

Anique St. Laurent guarded by Bridgette Martin

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Tagged as Amanda Hill, Anique St. Laurent, Coach Katie Brule, Fiona Neilon, Jac Doucette

February 2, 2022 · 12:28 am

Newburyport rallies past Amesbury 74-62

Max Gagnon (22 points) scores in front of the Newburyport student section

(Newburyport MA) Newburyport has become a team that is hard to defend.

Who knows who will have the hot hand on any given night?

Tonight, it was Max Gagnon. The speedy Newburyport senior had twenty-two points including eighteen in the first half.

Max held the Clippers (10-4) together tonight in the first half against the red-hot Amesbury Indians.

When Amesbury cooled off in the second half, the Clippers were able to catch up and pull away to a, 74-62, win on Tuesday night.

Both teams had plenty of active support in the stands and there was a tournament feel to the game from beginning to end.

“I loved the energy in the game,” said freshman Finn Brennan afterwards. Finn had sixteen points and fifteen rebounds for the Clippers.

Both teams played at a fast pace.

Amesbury (8-5) turned NHS misses into long-pass layups in the first quarter. The Indians had their biggest lead of the game (20-7) in the last minute after a Matt Welch (16 points) layup assisted by Cam Keliher.

The Clippers refused to go away, however, thanks to Max Gagnon. Max made three’s, got to the basket, and made free throws.

“They were falling, so I kept on shooting,” recalled Max.

Newburyport trailed by just two points (37-35) at the half as James Scali (11 points) hit a three very late in the second quarter.

You wondered how long the Indians would be able to hang onto the lead in the second half.

It was actually five minutes of playing time. Consecutive baskets by Nick Marden gave Amesbury its last lead, 46-45.

A three (Ronan Brown), a rebound basket (Finn Brennan), and another three (Will Thoreson) followed and suddenly the home team had a six-point lead, 53-47. The Clippers would hold the lead the rest of the way.

“We started the game strong,” said Cam Keliher (25 points) post-game, “but in the third quarter it got away from us when they started making three’s.”

“We got out of sorts in the 4^th quarter and started forcing shots,” recalled AHS coach Tom Comeau, “and then the shots didn’t go in.”

Once Newburyport had the lead, they changed their style of play. “We executed our plays more in the second half and got some easy baskets,” said Max.

Amesbury took chances defensively trying to get the ball back and Newburyport reacted by passing and cutting to create high-percentage shots that helped them pull away in the final quarter.

“We don’t have time to hang our heads over this one,” said Coach Comeau. “We have several games before we play in the Boston Garden on Saturday night.”

James Scali: “It was the best offensive performance I’ve ever seen him (Max Gagnon) have. He did a lot of work in the off-season.”

I asked Max Gagnon afterwards if maybe his pre-game lunch had something to do with his career-game. “I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch,” he said with a smile.

Newburyport 12 23 20 19 = 74

Amesbury 20 17 14 11 = 62

(The pictures will enlarge.)

Cam Keliher saw plenty of different Newburyport defenders

Owen Tahnk hears it from the Amesbury fans

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Tagged as Cam Keliher, Finn Brennan, Matt Welch, Max Gagnon, Ronan Brown

February 1, 2022 · 12:05 am

Pentucket defeats Haverhill 60-29

(West Newbury MA) Pentucket (10-3) started slowly but Haverhill started very slowly.

And it cost them.

“We’ve been playing catch-up most of the games we’ve been in,” explained Haverhill coach Melissa Tarpy afterwards.

The Hillies (2-10) fell to the Sachems, 60-29, on Monday evening in non-league action.

“Both teams started a little slow because neither team could practice during the last two days,” said Pentucket coach John McNamara post-game.

“Then we started to hit shots and they didn’t,” added Coach McNamara.

Junior Abby Dube led all scorers with eighteen points.

Eight of Abby’s points came in Pentucket’s breakaway first quarter.

Abby had a couple of three’s, both set up by Audrey Conover, and two free throws leading the Sachems to a 12-0 start.

A free throw by senior Yaribel Pena finally put the Hillies on the board with less than a minute remaining.

Pentucket led 13-1 after a quarter and 25-9 at the half. The Hillies were outscored, 35-20, in the second half.

The Sachems pressure defense, whether man-to-man or trapping, gave the visitors trouble most of the night.

“We just want to play basic basketball,” said Coach Tarpy. “Tonight, we didn’t do the little things that needed to happen.”

“Pentucket is a great team with a great program,” she added. “They’re fundamentally sound and play smart basketball. They know where their teammates are, and they trust each other.”

Passing was a team-wide strength for Pentucket tonight. Everyone was in on it. Plenty of nice setups for high percentage shots.

There were backdoor cuts that worked and drives with kickouts that led to wide-open looks.

Nine players scored for Pentucket. Lana Mickelson (10 points) was the other Sachem in double figures.

Senior Kya Burdier (10 points) led the Hillies in scoring. Sophomore Sydney Spencer finished with nine points.

Kya is committed to Nichols College next year where she will play volleyball and basketball for the Bison.

Pentucket has won eight of their last nine games. “We started the season a bit shaky but now we’ve come together as a team,” said Abby Dube afterwards.

The Hillies have now lost ten straight games. Their last win was on December 21^st against Lawrence.

“We’ve probably only had our whole team together twice this season because of Covid and other illnesses,” said Coach Tarpy. “But excuses aside, we have to come out and play basic basketball.”

“We did okay on offense tonight,” said Coach McNamara, “but we’ve got to get better. We’ve got some tough games coming up.”

One of the games ahead on Pentucket’s schedule is versus Newburyport at Newburyport on February 10^th. The undefeated Clippers won the first meeting by ten points but that was a while ago. The rematch is on my calendar!

The talk after the game tonight included confirmation from AD Dan Thornton that the new school will open in the fall. Dan also said that the gymnasium floor is in place. There was also talk about possibly auctioning off pieces of the floor of the gymnasium currently being used.

Haverhill is in the Merrimack Valley Conference while Pentucket is in the Cape Ann League.

Abby said that she played AAU basketball with Kya Burdier.

Pentucket 13 12 18 17 = 60

Haverhill 1 8 13 7 = 29

(The pictures will enlarge.)