February 17, 2021 · 9:56 pm

Undefeated Newburyport (11-0) wins Kinney semi-finals 69-45 vs Triton

Adam Bovee finds Clipper teammate Tommy Jahn for a layup

Trevor Ward was part of a very effective Newburyport defense

(Newburyport MA) Newburyport continues to roll along.

The Clippers (11-0) are now just one win away from a perfect season after taking out Triton, 69-45, on Wednesday night in the semi-finals of the Kinney Tournament.

“They’re a really good team,” said Triton coach Ted Schruender afterwards.

Hard to argue.

The Clippers were unselfish on offense and relentless on defense.

That combination made it a tough night for the Vikings (3-8).

“Newburyport plays great pressure defense,” added Coach Schruender.  “They’re physical and they overplay.  You have to take advantage with backdoors and by attacking the rim.”

Jake Robertson had twenty points including five 3’s

Newburyport had a 15-point win (63-48) against Triton on February 3rd at Newburyport.  In that game, Jake Robertson had twenty points including six 3’s.  Also, in that game, the Clippers gained separation with a 24-point second quarter.

In tonight’s game, Jake again had twenty points but “only” five 3’s.  Separation in this one?  The Clippers, led by Max Gagnon, had a 24-point third quarter.

Kyle Odoy guarded by Jake Robertson

The struggle for Triton was trying to get open shots.  The Clippers were man-to-man in the first half and had active zone pressure in the second half.  Both were very effective in limiting second chances and clear paths to the basket.

“We were at them right away,” explained senior Trevor Ward. “Our defense gave us the advantage tonight.”

Trevor had two layups in a nine-point Clipper run in the first quarter that pushed them ahead, 12-4.

An eight-point run, including two Jake Robertson 3’s gave the home team a, 20-11, lead in the second quarter.

The game got away from Triton in the big Newburyport third quarter.

Junior Max Gagnon (13 points) had a stretch of terrific offense during that quarter.  First, he hit a three (from Jack Fehlner).  Then he went full-court on a rebound.  Next, Max had a steal that he took in for a layup.  Not bad for a minute’s worth of work!

Dylan Wilkinson (12 points) looks for an opening

That surge of offense gave Newburyport a, 48-29, lead with four minutes left in that third quarter. Triton didn’t have the weapons on this night to recover.

“I was feeling it tonight,” said Max post-game.  “To see it go in gives me confidence.  I have put in a lot of work on my shooting and we do plenty of shooting in practice.”

Part of the success Newburyport had on defense was keeping track of Triton’s Dylan Wilkinson.

“He can shoot and he can get hot,” said Newburyport coach Dave Clay.  “We were keying on him.  We wanted to mark him every time he stepped over halfcourt.”

Dylan was limited to twelve points and had Triton’s lone 3-point basket.

The Newburyport offense was spread.  They had thirteen 3’s and thirteen 2-point shots.

Trevor Ward makes a pass for a layup

Their passing was excellent.  Most of their outside shots were open looks after several passes.

The second-half point separation gave both coaches opportunities to use everyone in uniform.

“I enjoyed watching the progress of the players who haven’t been getting a lot of minutes,” said Coach Clay.  “They’ve played against very good players in practice and it’s helped them grow.”

Part of Coach Clay’s concern over Dylan Wilkinson was over the fact that in Newburyport’s last two games, individual players Kyle Beal (Rockport) and Cam Keliher (Amesbury) had big games versus the Clippers.  I watched Cam put up a remarkable 44 points and nearly lead Amesbury to a huge upset.

Action on the boards

Triton has now lost twelve straight to Newburyport (by my count).  Last win for the Vikings was in 2015 when Dave Clay was coaching at Triton.

Ten players scored for Newburyport.

Coach Schruender: “We got outplayed by a very good team.  However, I don’t question the heart of our team.  It was a tough win-lose season but that doesn’t change the fact that I had a great group of seniors that I’ll miss a lot.”

Newburyport box

Triton box

The link to this game will be posted on Twitter (mcclellandpeter).  It also should be posted on Mascores.  Pictures from the game will be posted on Instagram (mcclellandmiscellanea) in a day or so.

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

Peter Sullivan

Dennis Brendan and Tommy Jahn battle

Jack Fehlner

Kyle Odoy and Jake Robertson

Jared Leonard chased by Adam Bovee

Griffin Dupuis

Dylan Wilkinson (12 points) gets to the rim

Jack Fehlner and Charlie Cahalane pressure Alden Lentz

Andrew Cullen saves a ball going out of bounds

Charlie Cahalane (9 points) eyes the basket

Jake Robertson passes to the perimeter

Nick White finds the camera

Stone Butler

 

 

 

 

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February 12, 2021 · 9:52 pm

Pentucket’s efficient defense leads to 42-23 win over Amesbury

Megan Reading (10 points) turns defense into a layup

McKenna Hallinan tries the baseline against Gabby Bellacqua

(Amesbury MA) “This was the cleanest game we’ve played defensively this season,” said Pentucket coach John McNamara post-game.

“What we talked about they executed really well,” he added.

The Sachems (9-1) challenged every Amesbury pass, dribble, and shot and coasted to a, 42-23, win on Friday night.

The Indians (7-3) went down, 9-1, in the first quarter and never recovered.

“Pentucket is very good,” said AHS coach Gregg Dollas afterwards.  “They’re very organized.  Very structured.  We just couldn’t gather ourselves.”

“We’ve had four practices in three weeks,” added Coach Dollas, “and at times in this game that lack of practice showed.”

Avery Hallinan shoots as Arielle Cleveland defends

That lack of practice was most apparent in Amesbury’s turnover number.  The Indians lost the ball on twenty-eight possessions without getting off a shot.  Plenty of wasted opportunities for Amesbury.

“We had way too many turnovers,” admitted Coach Dollas. “Plenty of silly passes and things like that.”

Senior Megan Reading led all scorers with ten points including several outside shots.

“My teammates made drives which set up the rest of us for nice open looks,” explained Megan.

And there were plenty of those open looks for Pentucket.  Amesbury was blessed that the Sachems were off from the outside and hit only four 3’s.

The Indians had as many three’s as Pentucket.  The home team had long one’s from McKenna Hallinan, Liv DeLong, and Meagan McAndrew in the last quarter.

Arielle Cleveland covered by Gabby Redford

Two years ago, Pentucket won at Amesbury by only two points.  Four years ago, it was a three-point game.  As a result, the one-sidedness of today’s game was surprising.  However, Covid-19 has taken the “normal” out of everything, including basketball.

“Amesbury is a good team,” said Coach McNamara.  “The score doesn’t indicate it.  They got off to a slow start and we were in control most of the way.”

The Sachems lead was 21-10 with three minutes left in the first half.  The next seven points belonged to Pentucket.  Freshman Gabby Bellacqua drained a three.  Senior Greta Mauer stole a pass and went for a layup.  Sophomore Audrey Conover drove from end-to-end.

This offensive collection elevated the Pentucket advantage to 28-10 in the early part of the second half.

Mackenzie Currie (9 points) splits Gabby Redford and Liv DeLong

Mackenzie Currie (9 points) and Arielle Cleveland (8 points) were the other two top scorers for the Sachems.

Gabby Redford paced Amesbury with six points.

When McKenna Hallinan got into early foul trouble, Gabby took over the point.  “I thought that Gabby stepped up in terms of controlling the ball,” said Coach Dollas.

The Indians three losses have been to Newburyport (twice) and Pentucket (once).  Neither of those teams are in Amesbury’s division in the Wednesday/Friday tournament of this coming week.  You have to like their chances.

Pentucket’s only loss has been to Newburyport.  Those two teams could well be facing each other for a second time in next Friday’s divisional championship.

Arielle Cleveland (8 points) breaks in with Ciara Sullivan in pursuit

In the February 3rd meeting, Pentucket’s top scorer (Arielle Cleveland) missed most of the game with an injury.  The Sachems squandered a lead in the last minute, falling, 58-54.  A rematch with the undefeated Clippers has “must-see” written all over it!

Megan Reading (senior): “I want to study kinesiology or exercise science. I want to get into the sports medicine field.”

Megan’s top school choice is Michigan.  “I have been accepted at Delaware, Maryland, Temple, and Penn State so far with a few more to hear from.”

Megan explained that her knee injury played a part in her interest in sports medicine.  “I got to experience that side of things with the injury.”

In the closing seconds of the game, reserves Ally Cacciapuoti (Pentucket) and Meagan McAndrews (Amesbury) nailed three’s.

Amesbury box

Pentucket box

The link to this game will appear on Twitter (mcclellandpeter) and Mascores.  Tomorrow I plan to post pictures on Instagram (mcclellandmiscellanea).

All of the pictures above and below should enlarge considerably if you click on them.

Emma Dollas looks for a pass

Emma Lopata (44) guards Liv DeLong

Ciara Sullivan shoots in the lane

Gabby Redford finds a lane

Abby Dube defends Alyssa Pettet

Ciara Sullivan looks to the rim as Mackenzie Currie defends

Bethany Cloutier gets a layup

Gabby Redford looks to pass as Audrey Conover defends

Alyssa Pettet trapped by Mackenzie Currie and Arielle Cleveland

Lana Mickelson to the basket

Scramble for the ball

Abby Dube

Megan Reading

 

 

 

 

 

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February 11, 2021 · 11:54 pm

Great start, strong finish earns Ipswich 52-48 win over Pentucket

James Davis (Pentucket) and Charlie Henderson (Ipswich) were part of a very close game

Kenny Lee covered by Will Wertz

(West Newbury MA) The Ipswich Tigers started with shutout defense and ended with consecutive offense.

That combo was enough to defeat Pentucket, 52-48, on Thursday night at Pentucket.

The Tigers (5-4) scored the first nine points of the game while the Sachems (2-6) had eight turnovers. Nick Daly (20 points) got a layup four minutes into the opening quarter to get Pentucket on the board.

“We gave the ball away too much,” explained Pentucket coach Ed Hickey afterwards.  “It’s our Achilles Heel right now.”

Despite the lousy start, and later in the third period trailing by ten (36-26), the Sachems were far from finished.

Silas Bucco (10 points) eludes Evan Stein

Senior Silas Bucco and junior Nick Daly took the home team on their collective backs after their team went down ten. They led the Sachems on an impressive 15-3 segment.

During the exciting comeback, Silas had six points while Nick had seven including a three that put Pentucket on top, 41-39, with 4 ½ minutes left in the game.

“I think we lost that ten-point lead because we got too rushed on offense, while defensively our rotations broke down a little bit,” explained Ipswich coach Alan Laroche.

For the next two minutes there were ties and lead changes with no indication of the final outcome.

The Sachems’ Kenny Lee set up teammate Ryan Tedeschi for a three from the left corner and then made a layup himself in traffic to boost the Pentucket margin to three (48-45) with 2 ½ minutes left.

Those would be the last points the Sachems would score.

“We had opportunities down the stretch to make shots and win the game,” said Coach Hickey.  “We just didn’t get it done tonight.”

Meanwhile, the Tigers put consecutive offense together scoring the last eight points of the game to get the win, 52-48.

Aidan O’Flynn

“We had a nice run down the stretch,” recalled senior Aidan O’Flynn.  “We came through thanks to Ray’s clutch performance.”

Sophomore Ray Cuevas (26 points) had a 12-point final quarter.

In the 2 ½ minute, run to victory, Ray set up teammate Nikhil Walker for a layup, made a three, and blocked a shot.

Ray Cuevas (26 points) puts up a three

“Ray had a nice game,” said Coach Laroche.  “He’s really starting to come into his own offensively.  He’s finding where he can get his shot.”

Nikhil Walker made two free throws, with thirteen seconds left, out of a tense one-and-one situation.

Nikhil Walker about to make the 2nd of two free throws with thirteen seconds left

“His two made free throws took some of the pressure off us in the final thirteen seconds,” added Coach Laroache.

I asked Aidan O’Flynn if he was surprised that Nikhil made the two shots: “Not at all, he’s a clutch free throw shooter. He practices them a lot.  I wasn’t surprised he made both.”

Nick Daly (20 points)

It certainly dampened Pentucket’s chances when high-scorer Nick Daly fouled out with 1:22 left.

“Nick had a big game,” said Coach Hickey.  “Losing him hurt us.”

Coach Hickey: “The kids competed.  They played hard.  It just didn’t work out for us.”

Coach Laroche: “It’s been a nice season.  I told these kids that I wish I had them for twenty games because I think we could have done something in the real tournament.”

Silas Bucco had ten points for Pentucket and Will Wertz had the same amount for Ipswich.

I saw both teams defeat Triton by a point.

Coach Laroche: “We’re making the best of what we’re allowed to do.  It’s awesome that we’re allowed to be here right now.”

Ipswich box

Pentucket box

The story will be linked on Twitter (McclellandPeter).  It will also be posted on Mascores.  Tomorrow some of the pictures will show up on Instagram (mcclellandmiscellanea).

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

Michael Perlitch guards Nikhil Walker

Ray Cuevas (26 points) in for two in the last quarter

Nikhil Walker hustles for a rebound

Nikhil Walker (9 points) elevates to get an inside shot

Fighting for a rebound

CJ Condon guards Will Wertz (10 points)

Nick Daly puts up a shot in close

Reilly Dillon

Nick Daly shoots in the lane

Paul Wertz (23) challenges Chase Dwight’s layup try

CJ Condon defends

Aidan Tierney

Owen Tedeschi

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February 5, 2021 · 10:03 pm

Despite Cam Keliher’s 44 points, Newburyport defeats Amesbury 86-83 in overtime

Cam Keliher scored forty-four points including eleven 3’s

(Newburyport MA) Both coaches said the same thing right afterwards.

“This game was fun.”

Everyone watched Amesbury’s last shot (Matt Welch) in overtime

Jake Robertson (17 points) hit a last-second shot to get Newburyport into overtime

I would have gone with, “exciting” to describe Newburyport’s, 86-83, overtime win against Amesbury on Friday night.

The game was certainly worthy of superlatives!

I’m going to guess that records were set.

Undefeated Newburyport (9-0) and Amesbury (2-5) combined for twenty-eight three’s.

Junior Cam Keliher collected forty-four points in a night where he made eleven three’s.

Amesbury played as if they didn’t remember their last meeting versus the Clippers; a 28-point loss in January.

The Indians also played as if they hadn’t played last night, which they had.

“Amesbury was relentless,” add NHS coach Dave Clay.  “They played well in their win over Manchester-Essex last night and it carried over into this one.”

The Indians came very close to winning in regulation.

A Cam Keliher three had Amesbury ahead by three with twenty-two seconds left.

You suspected that the Clippers’ high scorer, Jake Robertson, would be involved in the final shot……….and he was, but it took a while.

Tight AHS defense forced Max Gagnon (17 points) into what looked to be the last shot.  He missed, but Jack Fehlner (16 points) found the rebound and quickly found Jake.

Jake Robertson congratulated by teammates after sending game into overtime

“It was close to being over,” said Jake afterwards.  “Great offensive rebound by Jack.”

Trevor Ward draws a foul on Matt Heidt

Jake launched a long, straightaway three just before the buzzer sounded.  “I couldn’t tell if it was in because I fell off to the side,” said Jake.

But in it went, and Newburyport had five more minutes of playing time.

“We attacked the offensive glass and got that last chance,” said Coach Clay.

The Clippers took a quick four-point lead in overtime against the tiring Indians on inside scores by Jack Fehlner and Tommy Jahn (10 points).

Defensively the Clippers changed to a 1-2-2 zone defense and lessened Cam Keliher’s clean looks.

“We were just trying to give them a different look,” explained Coach Clay.  “Cam was really killing us with that step-back.  It was a gamble.  We did it earlier in the game and he hit a corner three.”

“That zone in overtime was effective because we missed some inside shots,” said Coach Comeau.

Cam Keliher closely guarded by Trevor Ward

After a layup by Kyle Donovan (11 points) Jack Fehlner and Tommy Jahn both scored again from in close.

Cam followed with his 11th three to cut the lead to three (86-83) with 22 seconds left.

The Indians would get a final possession with a chance to tie but weren’t able to do it.

“We had them,” said Cam post-game, “and he (Jake) made that tough shot. Credit to him.”

“I’m sad that we lost but it was a fantastic game,” said Coach Comeau.  “This what the Amesbury/Newburyport rivalry is supposed to be like.”

Max Gagnon (17 points) in the lane

“I’m excited for our kids to have been in a game like this,” said Coach Clay.  “Win or lose, you never forget these.”

Coach Clay: “Jake (Robertson) always makes the right play.  It doesn’t always end with him shooting the ball.  I was certainly glad to see the ball in his hands at the end, I’ll admit.  That was a tough shot, but we’ve seen him hit those in practice.”

You would have never guessed the ending by the way the first half went.

The teams were tied, 7-7, after four minutes but then the Clippers took over.  They scored the next fourteen points, while Amesbury committed five turnovers.

To make this worse, Cam Keliher limped off and missed most of the final four minutes.

Newburyport led, 21-7, after a quarter.

The lead was sixteen (36-20) halfway through the second quarter.

One minute into the second half, the Clippers still had a nice cushion, 46-30.

Matt Welch (13 points) guarded by Jack Fehlner

Newburyport winning by twenty-eight in January started dancing in my head.

But as Coach Comeau said afterwards, “There’s no quit in these kids.”

The Indians absolutely owned the next 3 ½ minutes of playing time in the third quarter.  They went on a 19-3 run and tied the game, 49-49.

Matt Welch (13 points) had seven during the run as did Cam Keliher.

Five ties and seven lead changes followed through regulation.

“I really feel bad that we didn’t have fans in the stands for this one,” said Coach Comeau.

I asked Cam if he had eaten anything special pregame. “I had Subway.”

There was some back-and-forth banter between the teams as the long shots started falling.  The referees put an end to it.  “It was all fun and games,” said Cam.  “We’ve been playing each other since fifth grade.”

Cam had three points in the first quarter and in overtime.  In between he went; 13, 13, and 12.  Remarkable performance.

“Cam’s a fantastic player,” said Coach Comeau, “and he’s going to play at the next level.”

Scramble on the floor

Jake Robertson: “Amesbury always gives us a good run.”

Jake described this season’s success this way, “We’ve been good at creating our own energy off the court and it transfers onto the court.”

It appears that there will be a post-season in the Cape Ann League during February vacation.

“It will give the seniors some more games,” said Coach Clay.

“If we are in the tournament, no one is going to be happy to play us,” added Coach Comeau.

Newburyport box

Amesbury box

The link to this coverage will be on Twitter @mcclellandpeter and also Mascores.  Pictures from the game should appear on Instagram (@mcclellandmiscellanea) on Saturday.

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

Nick White

Andrew Cullen

Cam Keliher leaves with an injury in the first quarter

Tommy Jahn (10 points)

Kyle Donovan gets a block

Jack Fehlner (16 points) including four 3’s

Kyle Donovan (11 points) in for two in overtime

Cam ties the game

 

 

 

 

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February 3, 2021 · 10:35 pm

Newburyport stays undefeated with exciting 58-54 win at Pentucket

Newburyport celebrates a rare win over Pentucket

Mackenzie Currie (18 points) heads into the heart of the Newburyport defense

(West Newbury MA) Pentucket doesn’t lose very often at home, or anywhere else, for that matter.

But the visiting Newburyport Clippers got that rare feat done, 58-54, on Wednesday night.

Both teams were undefeated and had large-margin wins over everyone else in the Cape Ann League.

“It was the win of the season for us,” said Newburyport senior Abigail Gillingham (10 points) afterwards. “They don’t expect anyone to come in here and give them a hard time.  We had the mindset that this was our game, and no one was going to take it away from us.”

Both teams were aggressive on offense (taking the ball to the basket) and defense.  There was never a chance that the 30-second shot clock would be used.

Two Mackenzie Currie free throws put the Sachems (7-1) ahead by two, 52-50, with 1:18 left.

“I thought we had enough to win,” said Pentucket coach John McNamara, “after we got the lead but give them credit, they knocked down free throws.”

Not only did Newburyport make free throws (eight in the final forty-four seconds) but even when they missed, they were able to immediately get the ball back and produce points.

Senior Leah Metsker (9 points) made her first attempt, missed the second but got her own rebound and earned two more free throws.  She made both and the Clippers led, 53-52.

Leah Metsker shoots a free throw

After a Pentucket turnover, Deidre McElhinney (11 points) was fouled.  She made the first, missed the second, but the Sachems lost the rebound out of bounds.

Deidre McElhinney shoots free throws

More chances followed for Newburyport at the line.  Leah Metsker made both and now the Clippers were up four, 56-52, with ten seconds left as the game got away from Pentucket.

Deidre McElhinney guarded by Greta Maurer

“I’m glad I could make some clutch shots,” said Leah.  “I tried hard to focus because the gym was so loud.”

“It was such a relief that we could finish it out,” added Deidre.

“Props to Leah and Deidre for making their free throws at the end,” added Abigail Gillingham.

Part of Pentucket’s defensive strategy was limit Abigail’s touches.

“We focused on her and gave up shots to other kids instead,” explained Coach McNamara, “but some of those kids made shots.”

Abigail Gillingham (10 points) guarded by Mackenzie Currie

Abigail didn’t even touch the ball for the first four minutes of the game.

Credit Mackenzie Currie for the tough defense on the NHS top scorer although she had plenty of help from nearby teammates.

Mackenzie led all scorers with eighteen points.  The Pentucket senior (going to St. Joe’s next year) hit two 3’s and went hard to the basket even against multiple defenders.

Sophomore Abby Dube tallied fourteen points including three 3’s.  Her last three was part of a seven-point run in the final quarter that gave Pentucket the 52-50 lead.

A key contributor for NHS was sophomore Jackie Doucette (12 points).  Jackie had a couple of three’s, as well as a full-court drive.

Newburyport coach Karen Grutchfield: “It was a nice team win.  I am so happy for Leah.  Shooting under those circumstances is hard, but she did it.  I thought that Emma (Foley) did a good job rebounding and scoring.”

It certainly didn’t help Pentucket to lose their top scorer (Arielle Cleveland) four minutes into the game.

Pentucket coach John McNamara

“Despite not having Arielle available, we still had a chance to win and didn’t,” added Coach McNamara.

Newburyport had lost seven straight to Pentucket dating back to February of 2017.

“We’re so excited to finally beat them,” said Leah.

The Clippers had only four turnovers in the second half while the Sachems had nine.

Jackie Doucette: “We’ve been preparing for Pentucket for a while.  We had a good idea of what they would do.”

Impressed with Pentucket sophomore Audrey Conover.  First time I’ve seen her play.

One of the advantages for coaches is that all of the Cape Ann League games are being filmed for the excluded public.  No need to do any in-person scouting.

Easy to imagine how noisy it would have been if folks could have attended.

Pentucket box

Newburyport box

The coverage of this game will be linked on Twitter (@mcclellandpeter) and be on my McClelland Miscellanea online blog.  Hoping to get it posted on Mascores too.  Pictures should show up on Instagram (@mcclellandmiscellanea).

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

Lana Mickelson

Jackie Doucette (12 points)

Deidre McElhinney breaks after a steal

Greta Mauer

Gabby Bellacqua, Abby Dube, Makenna Ward

Gabby Loughran

Deidre McElhinney passes out of a double-team

Abby Dube (14 points)

Mackenzie Currie

Audrey Conover and Deidre McElhinney

Emma Lopata

Deidre McElhinney

Mackenzie Currie puts Pentucket up by two

Jackie Doucette (12 points) shoots from long range

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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January 29, 2021 · 10:22 pm

Pentucket notches first win 47-46 versus Triton after eleven lead changes

Dylan Wilkinson falls away after nearly winning the game at the buzzer for Triton

Nick Daly (10 points) had the game-winner for Pentucket

(Byfield MA) Nick Daly’s runner from the right gave Pentucket the lead with three seconds left.

Triton responded with a set play.

It nearly won the game for them at the buzzer.

“Nine out of ten times that shot goes in,” said Pentucket head coach Ed Hickey post-game.  “It was run well, and we were lucky it didn’t work.”

As a result, the relieved Sachems had their first win of the season, 47-46.

“Alden (Lentz) threw a great inbounds lob pass,” recalled Triton coach Ted Schruender of the final play. “Dylan (Wilkinson) came off a nice backscreen by Quintin McHale, but it just didn’t work out.”

It was catch-and-shoot for Dylan and “at a tough angle,” added Coach Hickey.

The Sachems (1-2) managed to lead at the end of every quarter but hardly dominated within each quarter.

Dylan Wilkinson elevates for a chance at a block

There were lead changes in every quarter totaling eleven for the game.  Three happened during the last two minutes of regulation.

Consecutive inside scores by Kyle Odoy, Travis Overbaugh, Quintin McHale, and Nick Dupuis pushed the Vikings ahead, 44-40, with three minutes left in the game.

Pentucket responded with a rebound basket by Michael Perlitch and a three from the right by Nick Daly with 1:47 remaining to retake the lead, 45-44.

After turnovers by both teams, Travis Overbaugh cashed an offensive rebound with eighteen seconds left putting Triton on top, 46-45.

On Pentucket’s final possession, Triton switched to a man-to-man and junior Nick Daly ended up with the ball on the right side with the clock running out.

“I was going to take a three,” explained Nick post-game,” but I saw an opening to get to the hoop.  The shot hit a lot of rim but went in.”

Quintin McHale (12 points) finds a teammate

“I thought that Quintin had great position on that last play,” recalled Triton coach Ted Schruender.  “He (Nick Daly) made a tough shot.  Quintin may have tipped the shot, but it still went in.”

Triton (3-5) had good looks, especially in the first half, but couldn’t make enough shots to gain separation.

Pentucket struggled to get high percentage shots most of the game.

“We played well,” said Coach Schruender, “but they hit shots at the end of the shot clock that were tough shots.”

“Triton caused a lot of turnovers and it got them some easy hoops,” said Coach Hickey.

The Sachems struck from beyond the arc seven times including four times in the first quarter.

Junior Che Condon paced Pentucket with fourteen points including three 3’s. Nick Daly added ten points.

Quintin McHale (12 points) and Dylan Wilkinson (11 points) led Triton.

Travis Overbaugh turns a turnover into two points

Senior Travis Overbaugh had nine points for Triton including two layups off steals in the second half.

Coach Hickey: “Being in quarantine for two weeks really set us back.  We’re getting better and the kids are really working hard.”

Nick Daly: (On the last play) “That last play was close. The pass went over my head and when I looked the shot was falling out.”

Pentucket had six games postponed during their quarantine time.  They are scheduled to play their final five games in an eight-day span.

“We don’t mind the games being packed in at the end,” said Coach Hickey.  “The kids just want to play them.”

Triton box

Pentucket box

The link to this story will be on Twitter @mcclellandpeter.  It should also end up on Mascores.  Pictures should make Instagram @mcclellandmiscellanea.

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

Ryan Tedeschi

Che Condon (14 points) defends

Jared Leonard

Quintin McHale and Dylan Wilkinson surround Che Condon

Drew Sullivan (32) and Griffin Dupuis (24)

Travis Overbaugh guards Silas Bucco

Dylan Wilkinson in for two

Kyle Odoy splits Silas Bucco and Nick Daly

Dylan Wilkinson double-teamed

Nick Dupuis in close

Kyle Odoy covered by Kenneth Lee

Alden Lentz set to run the final play for Triton

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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January 26, 2021 · 9:42 pm

Fast start key as Amesbury gets 39-23 win versus Ipswich

Riley Daly (16 points) even with tight coverage

Avery Hallinan (18 points) even against a good Ipswich zone defense

Liv DeLong (10 points) on the baseline

(Amesbury MA) Sometimes the start can finish a team.

That’s what happened to Ipswich as they fell to Amesbury, 39-23, on Tuesday night in Cape Ann League play.

“We got off to a slow start,” said Tigers coach Chris Tolios,” and dug ourselves a hole we couldn’t get out of.”

Amesbury (2-1) had nine unanswered points to start the game.

Early in the second quarter the Indians put eight straight together.

When those two collections of consecutive offense were over, Amesbury was in front, 19-5, four minutes into the second quarter.

The two teams were even the rest of the way but the ship had sailed on the Tigers.

McKenna Hallinan looks to pass

A tight Amesbury man-to-man defense saw to it that Ipswich (1-4) stayed double digits away thereafter.

Avery Hallinan had eighteen points to lead the Indians.  Twice in this one (in the 2nd quarter) she hit from long-range.

Amesbury had five 3’s in the game.  “We hit three’s,” said Amesbury coach Gregg Dollas afterwards, “and we needed that against their tough zone.”

Riley Daly (16 points) paced Ipswich.

“McKenna (Hallinan) did a great job covering her,” said Coach Dollas.  “Riley is one of the best players in the CAL.”

Riley Daly gets to the basket

Riley was tightly covered on the perimeter and was confronted with extra defenders when she tried to get to the basket.  Somehow, even with the special attention, the Ipswich senior made shots.

I have seen all three Amesbury games, and the biggest improvement tonight was their passing.

“The ball movement was greatly improved,” agreed Coach Dollas.

And it needed to be against a well-organized Ipswich zone.

“Riley does a great job in the middle of that zone,” said Coach Dollas.  “She’s so athletic and she made it tough for Avery who lives in there.”

The heavy traffic, however, didn’t seem to deter Avery too much when passes did get inside.  She was willing to absorb contact, attempt layups, draw fouls, and collect points.

“We had good ball movement,” explained junior Gabby Redford post-game.  “Definitely better than last game (Lynnfield).  We passed well and got good looks out of it.”

Gabby Redford (22) finds a teammate for a layup

Gabby had several assists.  “I looked up and they were cutting through, so I got them the ball.”

Carter King (12) on defense

Coach Dollas: “He (Chris Tolios) does a terrific job with his kids.  They hang around in every game.”

Coach Tolios: “Amesbury played good physical defense.  We just couldn’t get anything going offensively.  We work a lot on defense in practice.  Our girls don’t quit.  Even when the ball is not going into the basket you can still play hard defense.”

Gabby Redford: “I have been thrown off by the way the season has gone.  Last year we had so much more practice and time to prepare.  Now everything is rushed.  I am still very happy to be playing.”

Covid-19 concerns have affected both teams.  Amesbury had its first five games postponed.  Ipswich hadn’t played in thirteen days.

Ipswich coach Chris Tolios

Liv DeLong notched ten points for Amesbury.

Only three players scored for Ipswich.

Usually low-scoring games indicate a plentiful amount of turnovers, but not this time.  Why?  Ipswich kept the ball in Riley Daly’s hands as much as possible while Amesbury lessened their tendency (in the first two games) of panicking under pressure.

Amesbury box

Ipswich box

This coverage will be linked in Twitter @mcclellandpeter and should appear on Mascores.  I plan to also post some of the pictures on Instagram @mcclellandmiscellanea.

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

Alyssa Pettet (14) moves up to guard Riley Daly

Julia Moseley

Sami Kimball

Ava Horsman blocks McKenna Hallinan’s shot

Carter King tangles with Avery Hallinan

Avery Hallinan rebounds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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January 22, 2021 · 10:22 pm

Amesbury holds off Lynnfield 47-43 for first win

McKenna Hallinan and Bella George go to the floor for a loose ball

Avery Hallinan (18 points) drives past Riley Hallahan

(Amesbury MA) There were six ties and six lead changes.

But it was Amesbury that took the last lead change.

The Indians were able to put together a good collection of offense/defense in the closing quarter and defeated Lynnfield, 47-43, on Friday night.

The winless Pioneers didn’t score a point in the final 6 ½ minutes.

This was only the second game for the Indians (1-1).

Three days ago, Amesbury faced Newburyport after just three days of practice.  The result (46-18) wasn’t pretty.

Alyssa Pettet defends Grace Klonsky (11 points)

“It certainly felt better tonight than last game,” said Avery Hallinan (18 points) about the team’s first win.  “We were more settled and definitely ready for this one.”

Lynnfield (0-5) which had also lost badly (61-29) to Newburyport, were in this game until the end.

“I saw them on film,” said AHS coach Gregg Dollas.  “They were much improved today.”

An issue for the Pioneers was depth.  Injuries had limited them to only seven players in uniform.

The short bench caught up to Lynnfield in the last quarter.

Abby Adamo to the basket

Up until then, the Pioneers made shots and disrupted Amesbury with double-teams and pressure.

“We were better today,” said LHS coach Jeannine Cavallaro post-game.  “We implemented a press the other day and they did a good job of executing it.”

At 6:30 of the final quarter, Grace Klonsky (11 points) nailed a jump shot from straight away and the Pioneers were up, 43-40.

Maybe it was the short Lynnfield bench.  Maybe it was tighter Amesbury defense.  Take your pick and/or add other reasons, but the Pioneers didn’t score another point.

Gabby Redford’s drive, and later her assist on a McKenna Hallinan three, gave the Indians the lead for good, 45-43, with 3 ½ minutes left.

Alyssa Pettet shoots a free throw

Several minutes later, Alyssa Pettet set up teammate Liv DeLong for a baseline jumper to boost the Amesbury margin to, 47-43, with 1 ½ minutes remaining.

That was how it ended but not before Lynnfield had good looks and Amesbury had free throws.  However, there were no successful connections on either end, and the Indians held on for the victory.

“In the first half we were hitting,” said Coach Cavallaro.  “The second half we were a little tired and I think it affected our shooting.”

Lynnfield’s Caroline Waisnor (17 points) was on fire in the first half notching fourteen points.

Caroline Waisnor (17 points) at the line

Avery Hallinan covered her.  “She’s a very good player and I love playing against her,” said Avery.

Avery Hallinan and Caroline Waisnor

Avery had eighteen points with most coming off drives.  Three of the baskets were set up by her sister McKenna.

“We were certainly better on offense today,” said Coach Dollas.  “Every game is going to be a grind.”

“Alyssa Pettet made big plays for us late in the game,” added Coach Dollas.  “She set up a basket and had a steal.”

“Amesbury had size,” said Coach Cavallaro.  “We had trouble shooting against them on the inside.”

Caroline Waisnor beat the clock with a late three to end the third quarter.

The Pioneers had a six-point lead (26-20) three minutes into the 3rd quarter but two 3’s by senior Mary Bullis (assisted by Liv DeLong) brought Amesbury even.  Liv’s cross-court passes gave Mary open looks against Lynnfield’s zone defense.

Sami Kimball blocks out

“I was certainly happy with our offense tonight after only getting eighteen total points at Newburyport,” said Coach Dollas.  “However, I didn’t like giving up forty-three points although they were really hot early in the game.”

Coach Dollas told me that he had heard multiple answers on whether or not there will be playoffs at the end of the season.

Avery Hallinan: “The Newburyport game was almost like a warmup game because we had so little preparation.  Now we’re moving on.  We did much better today.”

Amesbury box

Lynnfield box

The link to the game story & pictures will be on Twitter @mcclellandpeter.  I send Mascores the stories and some have been posted.  Pictures will appear on Instagram @mcclellandmiscellanea tomorrow.

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

Bella George and Gabby Redford

Ava Buonfiglio shoots a free throw

Grace Klonsky past McKenna Hallinan and in for two

Grace Klonsky

Inbounds lineup

Gregg Dollas and Jeannine Cavallaro

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January 19, 2021 · 10:55 pm

Undefeated Newburyport defeats Amesbury 46-18 led by Abigail Gillingham’s 20 points

Newburyport Clippers are undefeated after six games

Amesbury’s Avery Hallinan (11) looks for someone to pass to.

Abigail Gillingham (20 points)

(Newburyport MA) This was not a good matchup.

Amesbury was overwhelmed by Newburyport, 46-18, on Tuesday night at NHS.

The Indians faced undefeated Newburyport with only three days of practice, thanks to a ruling by the Amesbury School Committee.

The Clippers, now 6-0, could easily be the best team in the Cape Ann League.  They have been together for weeks and their play on both ends of the court shows it.

In this game, Newburyport passed its way to high percentage shots while defending Amesbury into low percentage shots.

Abigail Gillingham (20 points) was a game-long problem for the Indians.  Neither their perimeter defense nor their inside defense was effective enough to slow down the Clippers.

Avery Hallinan tries to cover Abigail Gillingham in close

“Abigail Gillingham was very good tonight,” admitted Amesbury coach Gregg Dollos afterwards, “but we didn’t battle the post.  We gave her all the positioning she wanted.”

Even when the Clippers missed shots in close there were teammates on hand to cash rebounds.

“Abigail did a great job of getting her body in the paint and we made really good passes to her,” said NHS coach Karen Grutchfield post-game.

Amesbury’s defensive struggles on the interior eliminated Newburyport’s need to rely on long-range shots and they took very few.

The Clippers gained separation 24-12 at halftime and Abigail had fifteen of Newburyport’s points.

Clippers interior defense

The Clippers defense truly made things tough for the visitors later on and they could only get six points in the entire second half. There were very few clean looks from anyplace for the Indians all night long.

“Our defense is the key to everything we do,” explained Abigail afterwards.  “Amesbury had trouble with our 1-2-2 press.”

“Our passing wasn’t good at all,” explained Coach Dollos.  “There were just too many individual things going on out there.”

It all came down to a well-organized team facing a team just getting used to being together.

Block by Liv DeLong

The Indians have two days to prepare for their home opener Friday versus Lynnfield. The time together should help them to improve.

“Amesbury has good kids and they’re physical,” said Coach Grutchfield.  “We were fortunate to catch them when we did.”

Deidre McElhinney had nine points for Newburyport while Avery Hallinan paced the Indians with ten points.

Newburyport box

Amesbury box

Interesting to see Amesbury’s Alyssa Pettet trying basketball her senior year.  She’ll be playing soccer for Holy Cross in the fall.

Newburyport seniors

Newburyport’s two seniors (Abigail Gillingham & Leah Metsker) were honored after the game.

This story/pictures will appear on my online blog (McClelland Miscellanea).  The link to the game with be on Twitter (mcclellandpeter).  Mascores has also been posting my entries.  There should be pictures showing up on Instagram (McclellandMiscellanea) over the next few days.

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

Newburyport triple-team

Alyssa Pettet gets to the basket

Gabby Redford tied up by Gabby Loughran and Makenna Ward

Jackie Doucette guards Gabby Redford

Abigail Gillingham jump shot in the lane

Deidre McElhinney (9 points) to the rim

Leah Metsker

Liv DeLong guards Abigail Gillingham

Mary Bullis

Metskers

Gillinghams

 

 

 

 

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January 17, 2021 · 5:31 pm

Amesbury wins belated season opener 73-64 over Rockport

Benan Murdock cornered by Andrew Davis and Matt Welch

Bowen Slingluff had a career-high 31 points for Rockport

(Amesbury MA) The Amesbury boys basketball team finally got a chance to play……….and they made the most of it.

The Indians (1-0) held off Rockport, 73-64, on Sunday afternoon.

The winless Vikings (0-4) got a career game (31 points) out of junior Bowen Slingluff and were within five points in the last minute with the ball.

Key play alert.  Bowen followed with a drive to basket, which could have cut Amesbury’s lead to three points, but the shot attempt was blocked by senior Kyle Donovan.

Cam Keliher (21 points)

The rest of the game was a steady flow of free throws for junior Cam Keliher (21 points), and his eight-for-eight from the line sealed it for the home team.

“You could see the rust for sure,” said Amesbury coach postgame.  “Defensively, we were a little slow and #13 (Bowen Slingluff) took advantage of it.  This is only our fourth day out here since coming back.”  The Indians had their first four scheduled games cancelled because of Covid worries.

“I’m very proud of our team,” explained Rockport coach Phil Whitley afterwards.  “We’ve got three seniors not playing because of Covid concerns.  Today we were down but we came back.”

That short bench (three reserves) caught up to the Vikings in the third quarter.  They gained a, 34-31, advantage after 1 ½ minutes.

Matt Heidt (13 points)

Six different Indians (Matt Heidt, Kyle Donovan, Matt Welch, Cam Keliher, Keegan Collins, Jake Hallinan) contributed points in a 17-3 segment that followed over the next 4 ½ minutes and Amesbury took the lead for good, 48-37.

The Indians comfortable double-digit lead (65-55) got a little uncomfortable, however, in the last two minutes of the game as Rockport turned full-court defense into quick offense.

A three by Bowen and then a steal (Austin Matus) set Bowen up for a layup which had the Vikings within five, 65-60, one minute later

However, after Amesbury’s 8th turnover of the quarter, Kyle Donovan blocked Bowen’s layup attempt that would have made things even more interesting in the closing seconds.

Rockport was now forced to foul and every time they did, Cam Keliher had the ball.

Afterwards, Cam had lost track of the eight straight he made in the final thirty seconds.  “I missed one earlier in the game,” he said.

Tight defense

“They made free throws at the end when they needed to,” recalled Coach Whitley.

“Cam is a very good foul shooter,” said Coach Comeau.  “We wanted him to have the basketball late in the game.  He’s a good all-around player.”

Cam led Amesbury in scoring.  He had three 3’s in the second quarter.

Bowen’s thirty-one points were a career high for the junior.  “He was amazing,” said Coach Whitley.  “He hit from everywhere.  He had been struggling a bit but had a big second half in our last game against Lynnfield.”

Kyle Donovan (14 points) dominated the inside, but fouls limited his playing time.  “I have to learn to stop committing bad fouls.”

Kyle Donovan (14 points)

Rockport made ten three’s with Bowen getting seven of them.  “We gave #13 too many looks,” said Cam Keliher.

The Indians will certainly have to improve their perimeter defense next game when they host Georgetown which specializes in long-range tries.

Nine different players collected points for Amesbury.  Sophomore Matt Heidt had three of the Indians’ nine three’s.

Coach Whitley: “It has certainly been a bizarro season for everyone.  This was a fun game to be a part of even though we lost.”

Coach Comeau: “Rockport played very well today.”

Rockport box

Amesbury box

The link to this game will be posted on Twitter @mcclellandpeter.  The story will also get posted (I hope) on Mascores.  Later some of the pictures will appear on Instagram @mcclellandmiscellanea.

(All of the pictures will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)

Cam Keliher

Benan Murdock

Dan Merz

Loose ball

Cam Keliher shoots in traffic

Austin Matus drives on Keegan Collins

Benan Murdock (14 points) sails

Austin Matus to the rim

 

 

 

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