Tag Archives: Coach John McNamara

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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Filed under Pentucket, Ursuline

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 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

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.)

Yirsy Queliz gets deliberate late in the game

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Tagged as Abby Dube, Coach Jeff Newhall, Coach John McNamara, Niya Morgen, Yirsy Queliz

January 5, 2019 · 12:26 am

Maddie Doyle’s defense sparks Pentucket in 39-27 win over Masco

Mak Graves (3) chased by Maddie Doyle and Angelina Yacubacci

Tight defense was on full display

(West Newbury MA) The girl didn’t score a point yet afterwards her coach was singing her praises.

“I told the team afterwards that Maddie (Doyle) did a fantastic job,” said Pentucket coach John McNamara.

Maddie’s terrific defense on Masco’s Mak Graves was a key piece in the Sachems, 39-27, win tonight in Cape Ann League action.

“Mak is one of the best, if not the best, player around,” said Coach McNamara. “Maddie battles and battles. Our other defenders were ready to help but Maddie was front and center.”

Mak Graves finished with twelve points but her only open shots were at the foul line.

Mak Graves (12 points) gets inside

The final score in this one will fool you because Masconomet dominated the first half. The Cheiftains (5-2) put eleven unanswered points together and turned an early 3-2 deficit into a 13-3 advantage at the 6:30 mark of the second period. Mak Graves had both of her three’s in this segment. One of them was a remarkable step-back three.

The visitors led, 17-11, at the half.

“I thought that in the first half we were terrific,” recalled Masco coach Bob Romeo. “We came out of the gate flying. Maybe we should have had a bigger lead.”

One thing that probably prevented a bigger lead was the limited floor time for sophomore Morgan Bovardi. Morgan (“She’s one of our bigger scorers” – Coach Romeo) was a foul magnet all night and was on the bench longer than she played.

Pentucket (7-1) turned things around in the second half. “We needed to play better defense and slow down on offense,” explained junior Angelica Hurley (15 points) afterwards.

Megan Reading (33) tries to block Mak Graves’ shot

The Sachems tallied so few points in the first half that the chances to flash their full-court pressure had been minimal. In the second half, that changed.

After Mak Graves boosted the Masco lead to 19-11 with a layup through traffic, the Sachems went on a 10-point run. Senior Jess Galvin started things with a triple. Later, Angelica Hurley (15 points) converted an offensive rebound and added three free throws. Junior Angelina Yarabacci (13 points) contributed two free throws. The streak of points gave Pentucket a 21-19 lead halfway through the third quarter.

Credit Masco. They hung in there and at the end of the period the scored was tied at 24-24.

In a game when points seemed to come only in bunches, it was the next “bunch” that turned tonight’s game Pentucket’s way.

“We decided not to settle for the outside shot but instead get to the rim,” said Coach McNamara.

Angelina Yacubacci (13 points) finds an opening

The first 3 ½ minutes of the final period combined a point-producing offense with a shutdown defense. The Sachems put nine unanswered points together and raced ahead 33-24. Their shutdown defense didn’t allow a Masco point for the first 5 ½ minutes of the last period. That combination almost always leads to a happy ending for the team doing it and that was what happened.

Pentucket had three points in the first quarter while Masco had three in the fourth quarter.

Masco had twenty-one turnovers by my count. Twelve of them came in a first half in which they ended up with a 17-11 lead. Pentucket finished with ten TOs with only four of them in the comebacking second half.

Marissa DeLucia stops Angelica Hurley

Bob Romeo: “Credit them. We couldn’t get any offensive rhythm. They played great defense.”

John McNamara: “It is always a war with Masco. They came out and took it to us. It was nice to see us respond. Any time you beat Masco it is a good win. We’ll enjoy it while we can.”

Angelica Hurley: “Maddie (Doyle) did a great job on Mak Graves. She’s a very good shooter. Morgan (Bovardi) being in foul trouble made a difference.”

Bob Romeo: “I had no problem with out kids’ effort. We held them to 39 points. They had been averaging close to 60. We’ll make more shots when we play them again in February.”

Watching Maddie Doyle and Mak Graves battle was a treat. They both are relentless.

Full house at Pentucket and they got their money’s worth.

Casey Hunt (now of Bradford Christian) was in the house.

Masco box

Pentucket box

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

Angelic Hurley tries to go under and up

Jess Galvin and Morgan Bovardi dive for a loose ball

Liv Cross (32) tightly guarded

Sara Fogarty (12) and Angelica Hurley (24)

Liv Cross (32) tightly guarded by Sara Fogarty

Mak Graves (3) trying to get open

Mak Graves shoots free throws

Olivia Filmore (24) and Jess Galvin (12)

Olivia Filmore shoots a free throw

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Filed under Masconomet, Pentucket

Tagged as Angelica Hurley, Angelina Yacubacci, Coach Bob Romeo, Coach John McNamara, Maddie Doyle, Mak Graves, Morgan Bovardi

December 18, 2012 · 11:57 pm

Pentucket girls defeat North Reading 57-35 after championship banner unveiled

2011-12 Division 3 state champs – March 17, 2012

championship banner unveiled

Alex Moore (11 points) fires from long range

(West Newbury) The Pentucket girls struggled mightily in the first half but returned to last year’s form in the second half as they defeated North Reading, 57-35, in Cape Ann League action on Tuesday night.

The “first half Sachems” could well have been thrown off by the festivities before the game.

The 2011-12 Division 3 state championship banner was unveiled and the thirteen team members from that 23-4 squad were reunited one last time before an adoring home crowd.

This was my first look at the team since the March 17th win over Sabis (55-32) at the DCU Center in Worcester as they captured the D3 title. Leading the way for Pentucket on that memorable afternoon were Sarah Higgins with 22 points and Kelsi McNamara with three long ones.

Elise Makowski soars in the lane over Coley Viselli during a strong Hornet first half

You know that the bar has been set pretty high for a team when they lead by three (20-17) at halftime and you describe them as, “struggling.”

But the 2012-13 Sachems (2-0) were struggling. There wasn’t a shot near or far that they could make consistently. And there were plenty of turnovers.

In the second half, a crucial ingredient in years of success returned……….shooting, and when that happened in the third quarter, the 2012-13 team started giving a great impression of the championship team of the previous season.

North Reading (0-2) actually got within two points (21-19) a minute into the second half but then the Pentucket scorers started hitting shots from everywhere, especially long range.

With shots falling, the Sachem defense could setup and pressure North Reading into a pace that created turnovers and rushed shots.

The visiting Hornets would make just one basket (Tarah Reilly) over the next six minutes while the Sachems put up twenty-one points and blew this one wide open, 42-21, with a minute left in the third quarter.

Kelsi McNamara (13 points) about to pass to a breaking McKenna Kilian (14 points)

Two treys by Alex Moore and one each from Coley Viselli and Kelsi McNamara highlighted the surge. The Sachems also added 7-of-8 free throws and a floater in the lane from McKenna Kilian.

That burst of positive production separated the two teams and North Reading was unable to get within double-figures of the Sachems the rest of the way.

Not only was the championship banner unveiled but the home fans also got a look at seven new players including five freshmen.

Sophomores McKenna Kilian (14) and Kelsi McNamara (13) paced Pentucket. Senior Alex Moore added eleven points. The Sachems next game is Friday night at Triton.

Carly Swartz (11 points) launches a last-second shot

Freshman Carly Swartz (11) led the Hornets. Carly scored all eleven in a first half in which North Reading made things very interesting for Pentucket. 6-5 freshman Jessica Lezon was a defensive presence for NR.

The Hornets will look for their first win at Masconomet on Friday night.

Quietly in the background during the pre-game celebrations was Pentucket coach John McNamara. His 136-18 record at Pentucket, and counting, is truly remarkable.

A look ahead at the Pentucket schedule has them starting off with Division 1 Billerica in January in a non-league game. Last season I saw Billerica nearly defeat Nicole Boudreau and the Andover Golden Eagles at Andover. Their key players were underclassmen. The Pentucket/Billerica contest is at Pentucket and should be special.

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

junior Sydney Snow

Coley Viselli chases a loose ball

Elise Makowski double-teamed by Alex Moore and McKenna Kilian

McKenna Kilian (14 points) and Morgan Maiola

Kelsi McNamara defends

Morgan Maiola (7 points)

Emily Dresser in close

freshman Rebecca Torrisi

Coley Viselli shoots a technical foul shot

Tess Nogueira (6 points) drives

6-5 Jessica Lezon

Coach John McNamara

Alex Moore pressures Carly Swartz

Leigh McNamara returns

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Tagged as Alex Moore, Carly Swartz, Coach John McNamara, Coley Viselli, Elise Makowski, Jessica Lezon, Kelsi McNamara, McKenna Kilian, Tess Nogueira

March 17, 2012 · 9:43 pm

Pentucket defeats Sabis (55-32) to win the Division 3 state title

Pentucket Regional – 2012 Division 3 state champs

Sarah Higgins (22 points) heads for the hoop

(Worcester) Pentucket 55 Sabis 32

There was no denying Pentucket (23-4) this time around. Same building two years earlier the Sachems lost in the state finals to Lee.

Pentucket led from beginning to end in this one capturing the Division 3 crown for the first time. The title game was one of six played on Saturday at the DCU Center in Worcester.

The Sachems led from beginning to end thanks to a combination of distracting defenses and take-what-you-give-us offense.

Senior Sarah Higgins (22 points) had a huge game for Pentucket. It seemed as if every time she wasn’t making a layup she was getting fouled. She made her last eleven free throws in a row and totaled fourteen for the game.

Sabis (20-6) gave up the first six points and were down 20-10 after a Tess Nogueira layin with 4 ½ minutes left in the second period.

Jazmine Collins (10 points)

The Lady Bulldog tandem of Jazmine Collins (10 points) and Shyanne Wellington (10 points) kept Pentucket from turning this one into a rout. The Sachem lead was 29-17 at halftime and 39-27 early in the final quarter. The game seemed, at the time, far from over for the charter school from Springfield.

However, a Coley Viselli triple followed on an assist from Alex Moore and up went the team from West Newbury, 42-27, with 5 ½ minutes left. A couple of drives later by Sarah Higgins and that lead was 46-29 with four to go.

Sabis was forced to foul the rest of the way and Pentucket cashed in nine times. The final score was a misleading, 55-32.

Kelsi McNamara (14 points) finds an opening

Kelsi McNamara (14 points) connected on three long ones in the first half. Equally impressive was the willingness of the 5-5 freshman to take the ball to the basket a couple of times.

The Sabis cause was hurt when Janaiya Sanchez went out with an ankle sprain for most of the second period. The 5-7 freshman played in the second half but was definitely limping. She has been on the Sabis varsity since 7th grade.

Jasmine Collins had several impressive coast-to-coast drives. The Lady Bulldog junior started this season with over 1000 points. The unpleasant memory for her in this one, besides the loss, could be making just one of eight free throws.

I always enjoy watching the Pentucket defense in action. Against teams that don’t handle the ball well, down twenty usually happened in the first half. Credit Sabis, they had girls (Jasmine and Janaiya) who could dribble the ball but they ran into trouble trying to find open teammates.

Inbounder Coley Viselli hit Sarah Higgins on a couple of deep fly patterns versus Sabis pressure.

Sabis won their first D3 West title ever this season. They had won eleven straight games before this game.

Pentucket ended on a fifteen-game winning streak. They will not be able to replace Sarah Higgins next season but they have many of their other key pieces back.

Pentucket boxscore

Sabis boxscore

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

Shyanne Wellington (10 points) defended by Leigh McNamara

Pentucket seniors head for trophy

rebounding action

scoreboard

Sachem coach John McNamara

Coley Viselli

Madison Sinkfield, Leigh McNamara, Jazmine Collins

tie up

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Tagged as Coach John McNamara, Coley Viselli, Jazmine Collins, Kelsi McNamara, Sarah Higgins, Shyanne Wellington

December 12, 2011 · 11:43 pm

Strong Finish Gives Pentucket Girls 2011 Provident Bank Tip Off Classic 44-37 Over Newburyport

Beth Castantini surrounded by three Pentucket players.

Game MVP Coley Viselli puts up layup in traffic.

(Newburyport) Two of the best girls’ teams in the area opened the 2011-12 basketball season against each other in the Provident Bank Tip Off Classic on Monday night.

A strong final quarter gave the visiting Pentucket Sachems a 44-37 win over the Newburyport Clippers.

Pentucket (20-5 in 2010-11) predictably came at the Clippers in defensive waves all over the court and let the long ones fly with abandon on offense. Sometimes it worked……….sometimes it didn’t.

After a fast start (3-for-5) Pentucket’s long ball accuracy vanished, as 2-for-16 the rest of the way would suggest. But three minutes into the final quarter junior Alex Moore hit one and was fouled by Meri Adsit. Alex completed the 4-point play to give the Sachems a 39-33 advantage.

Newburyport rallied nearly all the way back after trailing, 18-4, early in the second quarter. Pitiful Pentucket shooting in the 3rd quarter (1-for-13) opened the door for the Clippers (5-for-9 shooting) to erase a 27-14 halftime deficit. A Lea Tomasz three with two seconds left put this one in the “very interesting” category (31-29) with a quarter left.

Leigh McNamara (25) sails in for a first half layup.

As I said, Alex Moore hit a huge three in the final quarter but it was the Pentucket pressure over the final 5+ minutes that really did in the Clippers. The pressure seemed to work best in the half-court as there were no turn-2’s (steal and get a layup) in the decisive final minutes.

Newburyport got within one (32-31) on a Lea Tomasz converted rebound and two (35-33) on a Beth Castantini jump shot with 5:40 left.

Plenty of time left and certainly close enough score-wise for the home team to pull the upset.

However, the Pentucket defense gave up only one point (Beth Castantini free throw) over the next 5 ½ minutes! Molly Rowe hit a three with a few seconds left but by then, as they say in farm country, the cows had left the barn.

The shocking numbers for the Clippers during those game-deciding 5 ½ minutes were: one point in eleven possessions, eight turnovers, three shots in one possession and only one shot in the other ten. Those are dream/nightmare numbers depending on which bench you were sitting on.

Speaking of nightmares, Clipper coach Gregg Dollas will probably remember this game for a while as one where he learned something about the numbers on his players’ uniforms.

Cady Bennett

As the game was about to start the Clippers were assessed a technical foul because Cady Bennett was in the scorebook as #14 but was wearing #21. Coley Viselli sank both technical foul shots.

Later in the first quarter, Lilly Donovan was put in the game wearing #9. Players can’t wear single digit numbers above 5.…….probably because officials can’t finger signal 6-9 without possibly confusing the scorekeepers. Coley made one of the technical foul shots.

That’s three points, and in a close game like this one, they were a tough giveaway.

Coley Viselli was chosen MVP of the game. Good thing they didn’t ask me. I’d have given it either to teammate Sarah Higgins and her 16 points or to Alex Moore for her 4th quarter heroics. Alex had the 4-point play and less than a minute before that had an old-fashioned 3-point play. Those seven points were huge in this low scoring game.

Molly McDonough and Molly Rowe were given student/athlete scholarships afterwards thanks to Provident Bank.

A good crowd of Sachem support was on hand.

We saw the debut of a couple of Pentucket freshman – McKenna Kilian & Kelsi McNamara.

The Clippers will be able to count on points from seniors Beth Castantini (15) and Molly Rowe (11). Bettering last year’s 13-7 record could well depend on steady scoring from other players.