Category Archives: Pentucket

April 16, 2022 · 5:24 pm

Ethan Hunt leads Pentucket to 7-4 win over Triton

Ethan Hunt pitched a 3-hitter and struck out nine

(Groveland) “Great job by Ethan today,” said Pentucket coach Kevin Murray afterwards.

And who would argue unless all you saw was Triton’s half of the first inning?

Ethan Hunt settled in after that rocky start hitting a homer and pitching Pentucket (1-2) to a 7-4 win over Triton (0-3) on Saturday morning at the Pines Athletic Field.

“I came out feeling a little iffy but then I settled in,” recalled Ethan.

Joe Abt (3 RBI) and Griff Dupuis drove across runs for the Vikings in the first inning as Ethan struggled to throw strikes.

But Pentucket responded quickly. After their first two batters (Trevor Kamuda & Kyle Ventola) got on, Ethan Hunt launched a 3-run shot to right that put the home team in front, 3-2.

Ethan Hunt after three-run homer in first inning

“My hitting approach the whole game was middle-away,” said Ethan. “That home-run pitch was up and away.”

Triton fought back. A Joe Abt two-run double in the third inning returned Triton to the lead, 4-3.

Pentucket evened things on an infield error in the 5^th as Trevor Kamuda scored the run.

Meanwhile, Ethan (the pitcher) had settled in. The UMass Boston commit ended up retiring the last twelve Vikings in order.

“He was pretty much lights out those last four innings,” said Coach Murray.

Ethan ended up with a 3-hitter striking out nine Vikings.

“I have been a pitcher who starts on the shaky end and then progresses well as the game goes on,” said Ethan. “My 12-6 was definitely on today. I found location for my fastball later on. Those two together kept hitters off-balance.”

Pentucket broke away from the tie with a three-run sixth inning as things fell apart for the Vikings. After a Max Ligols double, Bryce Winter’s sacrifice-bunt attempt turned into a hit when no one covered first base. Pinch-hitter Alex Robertson drove in the eventual game-winner with a wind-blown double to left and two wild pitches followed that allowed two more runs.

LF Jack Lindholm deals with tough wind in the Pentucket 6th inning

“The bunt was a big difference in the sixth inning,” said Triton coach Chris Lamothe. “We weren’t ready for it. It was my fault.”

“Tough loss but we battled,” he added. “Griff (Dupuis) gave us innings and kept them off-balance for a long time. We’re back at it on Monday against North Reading. DJ Watson will be pitching.”

Both teams entered the game looking for a W after two opening losses. “It feels really good to get the first win,” said Pentucket catcher Kyle Ventola. “We’ll build off this. I think we’ll have a great season.”

Coach Lamothe: “Their pitcher settled down for the last four innings. He dominated. He had his fastball and his breaking ball working. Not much we could do.”

Coach Murray: “Ethan settled in nicely. We did a good job of making plays behind him. He was throwing strikes. When that happens, it gives us a chance to win.”

Today was a cloudy day with a threat of rain. The wind is usually a factor at Pines. High popups are always an adventure.

Every time I’m at this park, I get flashbacks to its Pines Speedway past. I was there on occasion. I remember Ollie Silva and Bentley Warren. Okay, I’m old!

Triton 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 = 4

Pentucket 3 0 0 0 1 3 – = 7

(The pictures will enlarge.)

Max Ligols led off the 3-run sixth inning with a double

Trevor Kamuda steals second – Connor Rumph takes throw

Pitcher Griff Dupuis sets to throw to first

Will Roberts out stealing. Connor Rumph applies tag.

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Filed under Pentucket, Triton

Tagged as Cole Daniels, Ethan Hunt, Griff Dupuis, Joe Abt, Kyle Ventola, Max Ligols

April 8, 2022 · 10:30 pm

Newburyport rallies past Pentucket 8-6

(Newburyport) “The start was rough,” said Newburyport Clipper defender Jack Hadden afterwards, “but I kept reminding the guys that it wasn’t over yet.”

“It was only 3-0 so there was obviously a comeback waiting,” he added.

Newburyport rolled after the first quarter

And there was as Newburyport (2-1) regrouped and went on to defeat Pentucket, 8-6, on Friday night.

“Pentucket is tough, and they won’t give you anything,” said Clippers coach Josh Wedge post-game. “I don’t think we were fully ready to earn anything at the start of the game.”

In the first eight minutes, Pentucket (1-1) had unanswered goals from Joe Turpin, Ben Turpin, and Evan Napolitano.

“We came in confident because we won our opener on Saturday,” explained Pentucket coach Dan Leary.

Coach Leary wasn’t fooled, however, by the early three-goal lead. “Newburyport is a very talented team,” he said. “Being down three is nothing to them.”

In the second quarter, the Clippers showed the quality that enabled them to reach the D3 state semifinals last season.

“I was happy with how we played defense after that first quarter,” said Coach Wedge.

The Newburyport defense was tighter and shots on goal became tougher and tougher for Pentucket to create.

Cam Tinkham, Jack Hadden, and Jon Growth produced scores and had the game tied 3-3 at the half.

Ben Turpin notched his second goal just 1 ½ minutes into the second half and Newburyport needed to regroup again….which they did.

The next five goals belonged to the Clippers.

“We started slowly (again) but gradually found our rhythm,” said Coach Wedge. “It wasn’t perfect by any means.”

Ryan McHugh (3) and Owen Kruez (2) were the five-goal finishers for Newburyport.

“As the game went on, we got a little tired and made some mental mistakes in transition that hurt us,” added Coach Leary. “A talented team like Newburyport will make you pay when you do that.”

“We just couldn’t stop the bleeding,” added Coach Leary referencing the Clippers run to an 8-4 lead.

Henry Hartford and Nolan Cole scored for Pentucket in the last thirty seconds of the game when things were a bit disorganized.

“In that second-to-last goal there were eleven players on the field,” said Coach Wedge.

“We have a lot of inexperienced guys,” said Coach Wedge. “We are dressing twenty-nine players and sixteen are either freshmen or sophomores. But we’re a scrappy team and we play good defense most of the time. Our team is really good at picking the ball off the ground and we fight pretty hard for it. What we don’t do enough of is valuing the ball. Too many bad passes and dropped passes.”

“We never quit today,” said Coach Leary. “That’s all I can ask for. Our team is always fired up to play Newburyport.”

There will be a rematch at Pentucket later in the season.

Coach Wedge: “Dan (Leary) does an unbelievable job. I think he’s the most underrated coach around here. They have low numbers but they’re ultra-competitive. They know how to play the game.”

I asked Jack Hadden about his choice of the University of Albany to play lacrosse. “The minute I stepped onto the campus I know it was the place for me. The team and the coaches were so welcoming. At 12:01AM on September 1^st, the first day they could recruit me, they reached out to me. That meant a lot. It was an obvious choice for me.”

The weather at Stehlin was pleasant with sunshine and temperatures near sixty. I nearly froze at Pettingell the day before.

Newburyport 0 3 4 1 = 8

Pentucket 3 0 1 2 = 6

(The pictures will enlarge.)

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Tagged as Ben Turpin, Coach Dan Leary, Coach Josh Wedge, Owen Kruez, Ryan McHugh

March 5, 2022 · 1:00 am

Pentucket downs Ursuline 64-41

Abby Dube (15 points) guards freshman Alana Hogan

Waverly Smart and Alyssa Thompson (15 points)

(West Newbury MA) “Pentucket played amazing defense,” said Ursuline coach Morgan O’Donnell afterwards.

How many times have we heard that from opposing coaches?

Pentucket (17-3) rode their full-court pressure defense to a, 64-41, win over Ursuline Academy on Friday night.

The victory moves the Sachems into the Round of 16. Their next opponent will be either Masconomet or North Quincy. Those teams play tomorrow (Saturday).

A Masco win brings another game to West Newbury.

“We have bleachers we can bring in to meet the requirements for seating,” said Pentucket coach John McNamara.

Pentucket had a house full of fans and there was plenty to cheer about.

“It was loud in here,” said Coach O’Donnell. “This atmosphere was tough to play in.”

Pentucket shut out the Bears (10-10) for the first four minutes and put up nine unanswered points. Four different players scored for Pentucket and all of them had layups.

Abby Dube and Alyssa Thompson were the game’s top scorers with fifteen points each.

This was a night, however, when most of the Pentucket baskets had assists attached to them and most of the baskets were inside shots.

“There are no star players on the team,” said Lana Mickelson. “We all work together.”

The Pentucket lead elevated to ten (27-17) in the second quarter after an Emma Lopata layup assisted by Audrey Conover.

The Sachems put a 12-2 run together in the third quarter, ending the run on an Abby Dube three-pointer. The lead at that point had reached twenty (43-23) with a little under four minutes left in the third quarter.

Both teams substituted liberally after that.

“I think our defense bothered them,” said Coach McNamara. “It was our turnovers and quick shots on offense that kept them hanging around a bit.”

Credit Ursuline. Despite trailing the entire game, the team from Dedham and the Catholic Conference kept plugging away in a hostile environment.

“Our kids came ready, and they played hard,” said Coach O’Donnell. “That’s all I ask of them.”

Seniors Rebecca Morrill and Ava Karol paced the Bears with ten points each.

I was impressed with Ursuline freshman Alana Hogan. Alana had seventeen points against Scituate. Tonight, she was very good at handling the ball and continued to the basket if the opening was there. Bright future.

The unselfish play of Pentucket was noticeable. They executed penetrate-and-pass beautifully and ended up with many layups.

Emma Lopata stands ready to take a charge

Senior captain Emma Lopata got two of the biggest reactions from the crowd when she drew two charges.

“Those can hurt,” she said, “and I was nervous about taking them because I had three fouls.”

Abby Dube now has fifty three’s this season.

Pentucket is the #9 seed in Division 2.

The seats were filled early and the enthusiasm for the home team was continuous.

“We love our fans,” said Emma. “It was fun playing in front of a huge crowd.”

“It was a messy game, but our team defense was pretty good,” said Ava DiBurro post-game.

Pentucket 15 16 16 17 = 64

Ursuline 7 12 10 12 = 41

(The pictures will enlarge.)

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Tagged as Abby Dube, Alyssa Thompson, Ava Karol, Coach John McNamara, Coach Morgan O'Donnell, Emma Lopata, Lana Mickelson, Rebecca Morrill

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 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 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.)

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Tagged as Abby Dube, Audrey Conover, Coach John McNamara, Coach Melissa Tarpy, Kya Burdier

January 26, 2022 · 12:18 am

Pentucket defeats Hamilton-Wenham 47-23

There was plenty of action around the basket

(West Newbury MA) “We just couldn’t close out quarters,” said Hamilton-Wenham coach Mark Cole afterwards.

The lack of consistency was costly as the Generals (7-4) fell to Pentucket, 47-23, on Tuesday night.

HW had nineteen points from talented Jane Maguire but her teammate combined for only four additional points.

Credit the Pentucket defense. As usual they were persistent and ready to turn miscues into points.

“Pentucket is a very, very good team that can shoot the ball,” said Coach Cole.

The Sachems (8-2) had nine players score and hit from long range five times.

Lana Mickelson and Alyssa Thompson were Pentucket’s top scorers with nine points each.

Each of the end-of-quarter surges that Coach Cole referenced had 3-pointers in them.

In the first quarter, Jane Maguire’s three-pointer had the visitors within three points (8-5) with four minutes left.

Pentucket then rolled off ten unanswered points and the quarter ended with the home team in front, 18-5.

Three’s by Ally Cacciapuoti and Alyssa Thompson were involved in the Pentucket run.

Lana Mickelson (9 points and 9 rebounds)

In the second quarter, two layups and two three’s by Jane Maguire had the Generals within seven (22-15) with 3 ½ minutes left.

Pentucket then rolled off eight unanswered points to gain a, 30-15, halftime lead.

Three’s by Emma Lopata and Alyssa Thompson were part of the second-quarter surge.

Hamilton-Wenham scored the first three points of the third quarter and trailed, 30-18, with seven minutes left.

Pentucket then shut out HW the rest of the quarter and added ten points to their lead.

Three’s by Abby Dube and Lana Mickelson were in the mix this time. Lana’s three was the old-fashioned variety.

Pentucket was ahead, 40-18, after three periods and cruised home from there.

Pentucket coach John McNamara was glad to get the win. “Both teams were sloppy. We’ve got to play better than this. But it was nice to get a win after our tough loss (in OT to Cathedral) the other day.”

There were plenty of whistles and plenty of fouls and turnovers.

“It seemed as if it was travel, after foul, after travel,” said Lana Mickelson afterwards.

The teams combined for thirty-seven fouls. I’m going to guess that there were just as many turnovers. It was ragged for sure.

“We knew that Hamilton-Wenham would be good because of their upset win over Amesbury the other day,” added Lana.

HW had lost by thirty to Amesbury earlier in the season but took out the Indians, 51-45, in the rematch recently.

“The fact that we held Pentucket to seventeen points in the second half was a good effort on our part,” said Coach Cole.

Lana Mickelson had nine rebounds to go with her nine points. Against Cathedral she had twenty rebounds.

Jane Maguire had five three’s in HW’s win over Amesbury. Christa Coffey added three from long range.

On February 10^th Pentucket has a rematch with undefeated Newburyport at Newburyport. The Clippers won by ten points in the first meeting.

Pentucket 18 12 10 7 = 47

Hamilton-Wenham 5 10 3 5 = 23

(The pictures will enlarge.)

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Tagged as Alyssa Thompson, Coach Mark Cole, Jane Maguire, Lana Mickelson

January 21, 2022 · 12:01 am

Pentucket defeats non-league Greater Lowell Tech 56-39

The Pentucket defense was solid the entire game

(West Newbury, MA) Danny Hileman, have yourself a memorable game!

And he sure did.

The Pentucket reserve had a career-best twelve points, all in the second half, helping the Sachems defeat Greater Lowell Tech, 56-39, on Thursday night.

The Pentucket offense usually revolves around Nick Daly and CJ Condon and those two seniors were again big contributors.

Nick (20 points) drew extra coverage but was persistent enough inside to get points.

CJ (15 points) created his scoring with steals and drives.

But it was Danny who provided the comfortable cushion for the home team in the second half.

He hit four 3’s from right in front of the heavily involved Pentucket student section.

“I’ve been waiting for a game like this,” said Danny afterwards. “It was good to finally get it.”

“It was fun to do it in front of all my friends,” the Pentucket senior added. “It put me in a good mindset and gave me motivation.”

Nick Daly gave the Sachems (4-7) the lead for good, 16-15, halfway through the second quarter on a putback in heavy traffic.

“Those kids were tough,” said GLT coach Shane Abrams. “We got out-muscled. They got to every loose ball.”

The aggressive Pentucket zone defense was impressive.

“We’ve been really improving our team defense,” said Pentucket coach Ed Hickey post-game. “Our defensive effort tonight will keep us in a lot of games.”

It certainly did that in this game because that 16-15 lead in the second quarter was 32-17 five minutes into the third quarter.

The Gryphons from Tyngsboro had won six straight so I was expecting a point surge at some point but the Sachems defense never let up.

“Their zone spread us out,” said Coach Abrams, “and we couldn’t really penetrate the gaps. We also had trouble reversing the ball because of how well they defended the weakside.”

Danny struck twice from long-range in the closing minutes of the third quarter and Pentucket was up fifteen, 41-26, at the end of it.

Again Danny struck twice but this time it was in the fourth quarter boosting the Pentucket advantage to, 54-35, with three minutes left in the game to ice things.

“Danny stepped it up big tonight,” said Coach Hickey. “It was clearly the best game he’s ever played for us. He’s been earning more playing time with his defense in practice. He’s capable of knocking down shots and he did it tonight.”

Danny turned to the crowd after every three with a big smile on his face clearly enjoying the moment.

Coach Abrams: “We didn’t recognize that he (Danny Hileman) was a shooter until it was too late. With the big smile on his face, I think it was a surprise to him, too. Good for him. I’m happy for him.”

Coach Hickey: “It’s very exciting to get a home win. It was nice to have the student body behind us. We’ve become more connected to each other offensively and defensively. We’ve been really trying not to settle for an okay shot but really work the ball to get a great shot.”

Nesly Sainvil led the (7-3) Gryphons with ten points.

Plenty of contact under the basket. Noah Colon, Greyson McDonald, and Collin Abraham made the Sachems earn every basket they scored from in close.

Greater Lowell Tech is in the Commonwealth Athletic Conference.

Chase Dwight scored one point but I’m betting he had close to ten rebounds.

Pentucket 11 13 17 15 = 56

Greater Lowell 11 6 9 13 = 39

(The pictures will enlarge.)

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Tagged as CJ Condon, Danny Hileman, Nesly Sainvil, Nick Daly

January 15, 2022 · 1:00 am

Pentucket defeats Triton 60-59

Cole Vuylsteke hit two free throws to give Pentucket the lead

(Pictures will enlarge)

Chase Dwight defends in the closing seconds

(Byfield MA) Clutch free throws by CJ Condon and Cole Vuylsteke in the final minute enabled Pentucket to get by Triton, 60-59, on Friday night.

“It was a crazy, crazy game,” said Pentucket coach Ed Hickey afterwards. “It was a tale of two halves.”

The Sachems (3-6) were cooking from long range in the first half draining eight three’s. One by Chase Dwight drew smiles from the surprised Pentucket fans and put the visitors ahead, 32-13. The halftime margin was 36-21.

In the second half, Triton came to life.

“We really tightened up defensively,” recalled Triton coach Ted Schruender.

The Pentucket lead was lessened to nine points by the end of the third quarter (52-43) and then things got very interesting in the final quarter.

The Sachems couldn’t score a point for first five minutes and Triton rallied offensively to even things at 52-52. Sophomore John Prendergast collected the tying basket off a deflected shot.

With 1:20 remaining, John was again in the right place at the right time. This time he turned an offensive rebound into a score and the home team led, 57-54.

CJ Condon (23 points) broke in to score a layup but Ethan Tate responded with two free throws. Triton still had a 3-point lead (59-56) with fifty seconds left.

Pentucket won the game on their next two possessions. They did it with four straight free throws (CJ Condon and Cole Vuylsteke). The Vikings (3-5) had a rebounding foul and a turnover in their last two possessions.

“I missed free throws in the first half,” said CJ Condon post-game. “It felt good to knock them down in the second half.”

The tensest moment belonged to Cole who had not scored a point the entire game. Now, with eighteen seconds left he was at the line, shooting one-and-one, with his team trailing by a point. Cole nailed both shots.

“Cole stepped up and hit some huge free throws for us,” said Coach Hickey.

“We had a great comeback,” said Triton senior Quintin McHale (26 points). “We just couldn’t finish it out.”

“We were down by fifteen at one point and came back and got the lead,” recalled Dylan Wilkinson (20 points) afterwards. “You’ve got to finish it off.”

“I can’t say enough about Dylan Wilkinson and Quintin McHale,” said Pentucket coach Ed Hickey. “They were both amazing.”

A crucial defensive play was turned in by Pentucket’s Chase Dwight in the closing seconds. Quintin got in close to the basket looking to get off a shot or get fouled but Chase was able to force the ball out of bounds instead of fouling Quintin.

Nick Daly (15 points) drew special coverage in the first half. He had five three’s, but foul trouble kept him on the sidelines for many minutes.

“I had a bad game last week and I was ready to play tonight,” said Nick afterwards.

The Sachems ended a four-game losing streak. “This was a much-needed win for us,” said Coach Hickey. “I’m not sure we’ve had our full lineup this year. Tonight, we hung in there and I’m very proud of our guys.”

Last year the same two teams faced off at Byfield and Pentucket came away with a 47-46 win.

“Last year we were winning and let one get away,” recalled Coach Schruender. “This year we made a really nice comeback.”

Both squads had active support in the stands. “I love playing in this environment,” said CJ Condon.

Pentucket 21 15 16 8 = 60

Triton 11 10 22 16 = 59

(The pictures will enlarge.)

Ethan Tate made two free throws in the closing minute

Cole Vuylsteke tries to block Ethan Tate’s shot

Chase Dwight lifts Quintin McHale with an up fake.

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Tagged as Chase Dwight, CJ Condon, Cole Vuylsteke, John Prendergast

December 11, 2021 · 1:18 am

Niya Morgen and Yirsy Queliz guide St. Mary’s past Pentucket 59-37

(The pictures below will enlarge if you click on them.)

(West Newbury MA) St. Mary’s got better as the game went along defeating Pentucket, 59-37, on Friday night.

The Spartans junior guards (Yirsy Queliz and Niya Morgen) were a game-long problem for Pentucket in their season opener.

“They might have the best backcourt in the state,” said Pentucket coach John McNamara afterwards.

Niya had seven three’s in twenty-seven points while Yirsy added eighteen points.

Action in front of the Pentucket student section

The points were one thing, but the defense and court-sense of both players was noticeable.

“Our guard play eventually took the game over,” explained Spartans coach Jeff Newhall post-game.

“They’re good friends,” added Coach Newhall. “They play AAU together. They are used to playing together. There is no weakness in their games.”

The Pentucket student section was in place as was an ever-playing band. There was a playoff-game atmosphere.

The Sachems started well, and even had a 6-2 lead, as St. Mary’s tried to settle in.

But as time went on, it became apparent that Pentucket was going to have trouble scoring and that St. Mary’s wouldn’t.

Yirsy Queliz created a turnover with seconds left in the first quarter and cashed it in to give the visitors their first lead, 9-7. They would build on that lead the rest of the game.

Niya Morgen carried St. Mary’s in the second and third quarters. The Swampscott transfer drained six three’s in those quarters.

One of Niya’s three-pointers was a step-back three.

“Niya made some big shots to keep us alive,” said Coach Newhall.

The Spartans extended a 24-18 halftime lead to 41-28 after three quarters.

The Pentucket problem wasn’t a lack of shots. The issue was making some shots.

“We had some good looks,” said Coach McNamara, “but against a good team you have to make shots. The defense can only hold on for so long.”

Abby Dube paced Pentucket with fifteen points. Gabby Bellacqua added eleven points mostly on free throws.

This game was an endowment game so it will have no effect on tournament standings.

“We haven’t played Pentucket in ten years,” said Coach Newhall. “The last time was in 2011 when we beat them in the Division 3 North semi-finals and went on to win our first state championship. Before that, we used to play them all the time.”

“John (McNamara) and I planned to have this game last year but couldn’t,” said Coach Newhall. “Any time we can play a quality opponent on the road that can challenge us we’re willing to do it. Some teams aren’t willing to host us.”

“We had nothing to lose in scheduling them,” said Coach McNamara, “since it’s an endowment game. We knew that they were loaded. It was a learning experience for us. We start our season next week against Georgetown.”

It was easy to be impressed with Yirsy Queliz. Coach Newhall summed her up this way: “Yirsy has been a starter since she was in eighth grade. She does everything. She may not score a ton but she’s a tremendous ballhandler. She’s probably the best on-the-ball defender in the area.”

Yirsy’s teammate, Niya, is equally good at handling the ball and tonight showed the ability to hit outside shots and get to the basket.

“St. Mary’s is probably one of the top five teams in the state,” said Coach McNamara. “They have four kids who can create their own offense. There are probably three scholarship kids on that team.”

Coach Newhall was happy with the win and especially liked his team’s play at the end. “I was impressed with our fourth quarter defensively and using the clock for good possessions,” he said. “We had Yirsy with the ball, the court spread, and ran good sets.”

Yirsy said afterwards that “Pentucket was a tough team.” Niya added that the “team had to chill out without fouling.”

Yirsy Queliz sets a pick for Niya Morgen

Both girls agreed that because they have played together so much, “they’ve built chemistry.”

Yirsy and Niya ran a perfect pick-and-roll in the fourth quarter.

This is the last season in the current Pentucket gymnasium. Coach McNamara said afterwards that he was going to miss the place.

“One of my best memories of this place was beating a very good Masco team here my first year of coaching,” said Coach McNamara. “They had been to the Tsongas the year before and had everyone back. We were the new kids on the block.”

Bob Romeo (former Masco coach and now North Reading coach) was in the house tonight. I also saw Coach Dollas and some of his Amesbury players in attendance.

Graduated outside shooter Arielle Cleveland was also spotted afterwards. Pentucket could have used her shooting tonight.

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