Claudia Marsh | McClelland Miscellanea

Tag Archives: Claudia Marsh

March 2, 2013 · 10:42 pm

Billerica ousts Masconomet 64-42 in Division 1 North quarterfinals

Joslyn King (14 points) scores from in close

Nicole Femino (17 points) gets down the lane

(Billerica) Billerica won their thirteenth straight home game as they defeated Masconomet, 64-42, in Division 1 North quarterfinals action on Saturday afternoon.

The #2 seed Indians (20-2) move on to the semifinals on Wednesday (7PM) at Woburn HS against the Lexington/Westford winner.

The Chieftains (16-6) struggled to score after a nice (14-12) first quarter. Billerica’s half-court defense caused few turnovers but it did limit where Masco could shoot from (mostly outside) and also limited second shots.

The outcome of this game was still in doubt with two minutes left in the third quarter with Billerica holding a, 40-33, lead. 5 ½ minutes of playing time later, stretching into the final quarter, the outcome mystery had been solved.

Shannon Hayes (12 points)

The Indians rolled up a remarkable sixteen straight unanswered points during those 5 ½ minutes and #7 seed Masco was down and out, 56-33, with 4 ½ minutes to play.

Caroline Gillis started the big run of points with a three and later on Lexie Mattar stuck a jump shot. The rest of it was free throws and what free throw shooting the packed house at BHS saw. The Indians missed their first attempt (Danielle Nickerson) but never missed again in the fifteen attempts covering the rest of the game.

The Indians had eleven free throws in the sixteen-point outburst that decided this game.

The Indians had four players in double figures. Joslyn King (14 points) paced Billerica. The 6-1 senior also had plenty to do with preventing Masco from gaining easy access to close-in shots.

Danielle Nickerson (13), Shannon Hayes (12), and Kayla Leverone (10) were the other Indians in double figures.

Junior Nicole Femino (17 points) led the Masco scorers. Nicole had twelve of those points in the first half. Claudia Marsh closed out her Masco basketball career with eleven points getting nine of them in the first half.

Claudia Marsh (11 points)

The Chieftains had a great start zipping ahead, 8-2, as Claudia tallied a layup and converted a rebound. She had another layup later in the quarter and Masco led, 14-12, when it was over.

The visitors from the Cape Ann League fell behind in the second quarter but a three by Nicole Femino had Masco one possession away (25-24) with two minutes until the half.

Billerica answered with two layups by speedy Shannon Hayes and a three by Kayla Leverone. Meghan Collins hit a free throw to stop the bleeding before halftime but the Indians started the second half with two more baskets (Danielle Nickerson and Joslyn King) and led by eleven (36-25).

The reality of the end of the season sets in for Masconomet

On this day, Masco just could not get the stops needed to give them space to catch up. And then when they were hit with the sixteen point run their season was over.

I had seen both teams lose to Division 3 Pentucket. What the Sachems were able to do was to disrupt both teams into costly turnovers.

In the Billerica/Masconomet game, the solid defense of the Indians and their amazing free throw shooting carried the day.

Masconomet made six-of-seventeen free throws.

Continuing with free throws, I saw Billerica lose at Andover last season to Nicole Boudreau’s team by a point in a game where the Indians missed four free throws in the last 1 ½ minutes of that game. And today they made 15 straight! Go figure.

The Billerica gymnasium was just the right size for the crowd that showed up. BHS Athletic Director Dave Lezenski did a wonderful job of monitoring the behavior of the Indians student section. Several students were informed that their comments should only be directed at the home team.

Billerica Boxscore

Masconomet Boxscore

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

Joslyn King shoots from outside

Danielle Nickerson (13 points)

Meghan Collins defends Brittany Lomanno

Abi Rose

Hannah Kiernan drives right

Kayla Leverone (10 points) dribbles

tight Masco defense

Masconomet survives late North Andover rally to win 52-41 in nonleague girls basketball

Tight defense helped the Chieftains get a big lead

Pam Coufos (10) steals from Meghan Collins (5) late in the game

(Topsfield) The Masconomet Lady Chieftains never trailed but had to hold off the late-charging North Andover Scarlet Knights to win, 52-41, on Sunday afternoon in non-league play.

Masco (10-2) was smooth as silk on offense for 3 ½ quarters. They ran plays that turned up many great scoring opportunities and built a commanding, 48-32, lead with 3:48 left in regulation.

I imagined a Masco coast-in from there but North Andover had other ideas. After spending most of the game trying to find someone/anyone to pass to, the Knights began to use their pressure defense to create offense.

Led by Pam Coufos (two steals leading to two layups), the Division 2 visitors put together nine straight points in two minutes. Five straight Masco miscues certainly helped, as NA closed to 48-41 with 1 ½ minutes left in the game.

But that was where the late run came to an end for the Knights. Leah Chittick (eight points) missed the front end of a one-and-one that could have cut the lead to five. Then the Chieftains put a lengthy possession together (finally) and Nicole Femino (12 points) drove the lane to the left to squelch NA’s rally plans.

Morgan Lumb (on crutches) gives Abi Rose flowers

North Andover (9-3) struggled against the Masconomet pressure defense from beginning to end. The Knights are trying to get used to life without Division 1 (Hartford) signee Morgan Lumb and it is clearly a work in progress.

When healthy, Morgan was able to make plays for herself ( I saw her get fifteen points in one quarter in a state tournament game last year against Tewksbury) and she could also set up teammates.

Megan Collins (17 points) supplied points for the Knights but there were very few assisted baskets for NA.

However, despite registering seventeen turnovers during the first half, NA trailed only 26-19 at halftime.

Claudia Marsh (nine points) shoots over McKenzie Mello

However, Masco’s last basket in the first half (Claudia Marsh layup) started ten straight unanswered points for the Division 1 home team. Hannah Kiernan contributed two layups while Nicole Femino and Meghan Collins each added a pair of free throws in the ten-point surge that boosted the Chieftain advantage to 34-19 in the third quarter.

Masco started another run of unanswered scoring (seven) late in the third quarter that stretched their margin to 45-26 two minutes into the final quarter.

That lead would extend to 48-32 before NA made the late charge.

The very idea that North Andover had Masconomet on the ropes in this game is truly remarkable considering: (1) they played without Morgan Lumb, (2) they turned the ball over thirty times, and (3) they committed eighteen fouls and forced Coach Sue Breen to employ all sorts of unusual on-floor combinations. Perhaps the biggest problem was point guard Pam Coufos getting limited first-half minutes because of three fouls.

Hannah Kiernan (15 points) took the ball to the basket on every opportunity for Masco and was rewarded numerous times with baskets or free throws. She had an end-to-end drive in the fourth quarter.

Coach John McNamara (Pentucket) was an interested spectator. His team faces Masco at Masco on February 1st. The Lady Chieftains will certainly have to cut down on their turnovers (twenty-three) if they hope to avenge an early-season loss to the Division 3 Sachems.

North Andover, formerly in the Cape Ann League, brought flowers for the Masconomet seniors.

Two of the three terrific National Anthem singers

The best part of the afternoon at Masconomet was the singing of the National Anthem by three little ladies. I won’t try to guess their ages but their pitch and their diction was unbelievable.

It was a long afternoon for some of the North Andover faithful. They had plenty of comments for the two officials about the frequent whistles, the eighteen fouls called against their Knights, and finally the eleven-point loss. And then they had to go home and watch what the Ravens did to our Patriots!

Masconomet boxscore

North Andover boxscore

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