Tag Archives: Deirdre McElhinney

February 24, 2022 · 12:43 am

Newburyport wins Gieras Tourney 68-48 over North Andover

Newburyport Clippers win Gieras Tournament

(Danvers MA) North Andover had a five-point lead in the first half and was tied with Newburyport early in the second half.

That was the good news for the (10-9) Knights.

The Clippers (18-2) overwhelmed NA the rest of the way.

The win, at Danvers High School, gained the tournament title for Newburyport in the Ed Gieras Memorial Tournament on Wednesday night.

“This was a really satisfying win,” said Clippers coach Karen Grutchfield afterwards. “We showed up to play against a good team.”

The Knights were able to hang around thanks to long-range accuracy. Katie Robie (12 points) and freshman Sydney Rogers each had a pair of 3-pointers to keep the game close in the early going.

In the second half, the Knights lost the outside touch and couldn’t contend with a Clippers’ team that had four players in double figures.

Junior Emma Foley was the tourney MVP. Emma thrived against single coverage around the basket. When NA opted to send extra defensive help it opened opportunities for other Clippers. On this night, those “other” players; Makenna Ward (17 points), Olivia McDonald (14 points), and Deirdre McElhinney, (12 points) all needed individual attention.

“We distributed the scoring pretty well,” said Coach Grutchfield.

“There are no excuses for the way we played in the second half,” said NA coach Jess Deveny post-game.

“When you don’t play well in the defensive end, it translates into not doing well in the offensive end,” she added.

The Clippers put up forty-four points in the second half. They had consecutive point-runs of ten and eight in the third quarter and fourteen in the final quarter.

The 26-26 tie turned into 36-26 in the third quarter and 54-34 in the last quarter.

Most of the Newburyport baskets had assists attached to them. Their passing was good, and they also converted several offensive rebounds.

“Newburyport got hot,” said Coach Deveny. “They were making all their shots. They’re a great squad. They’re in the top twenty in D2.”

North Andover is in the Merrimack Valley Conference and is used to a regular dose of tough competition.

“Every night is a battle in the MVC,” said Coach Deveny. “If you’re not ready, this is what happens.”

“Sydney Turner was special for us tonight,” said Coach Grutchfield. “She does all the little things and tonight she guarded their best player.”

Hannah Martin paced North Andover with fourteen points and was named to the all-tourney team. Olivia McDonald did a pretty good job of defending her. Olivia also had fourteen points including nine in the last quarter.

Makenna Ward finished with seventeen points and that earned her a spot on the all-tourney team. Makenna had a fast-break layup (assisted by Olivia McDonald) and a three-pointer when the Clippers gained the ten-point separation in the third quarter.

North Andover defeated Reading (58-44) to reach tonight’s final. Newburyport had a win over Danvers (59-34) to get to the championship game.

Katie Robie had four three-pointers for the Knights.

Newburyport 9 15 21 23 = 68

North Andover 10 13 7 18 = 48

(The pictures will enlarge.)

Leave a comment

Filed under Newburyport, North Andover

Tagged as Coach Jess Deveny, Deirdre McElhinney, Emma Foley, Hannah Martin, Jackie Rogers, Katie Robie, MaKenna Ward, Olivia McDonald

February 15, 2022 · 12:21 am

Emma Foley (31 points) leads Newburyport past Haverhill 58-35

Junior Emma Foley reached a career-high thirty-one points vs Haverhill

(Newburyport MA) The Haverhill Hillies were on the wrong end of Emma Foley’s career game.

“We couldn’t stop her,” said Haverhill coach Melissa Tarpy afterwards. “She had a ton of points.”

Thirty-one, to be exact.

“It was the best I’ve done,” said Emma post-game.

Emma’s big night was the key in Newburyport’s 58-35 win over Haverhill on Monday night.

“I definitely couldn’t have scored all those points without some great looks from Sydney (Turner), Makenna (Ward), and Deirdre (McElhinney),” said Emma. “They did a really good job of finding me tonight.”

The Hillies (3-14) used a man-to-man defense in the first half. The Clippers (15-2) countered by spreading out and putting Emma close to the basket. With single coverage and space to operate, Emma went to work.

The two teams played a week ago and Newburyport only won by eight points (54-46).

Haverhill defense tightened in the second half

“I didn’t put the ball in the hoop very well,” said Emma of the sixteen points she had at Haverhill.

No such problem tonight.

The Clippers were up, 19-8, after a quarter and Emma already had eighteen points! The variety of scoring maneuvers was impressive. There were assisted baskets in close, mixed in with a rebound basket as well as one on a full-court drive.

A three-pointer by Haley Phillips (15 points) had the Hillies within two points (8-6). Emma answered with nine straight points and Deirdre McElhinney (11 points) added a free throw. Suddenly the NHS lead was twelve points (18-6).

In the second quarter, a three by Sydney Spencer set the score at 21-11 a minute into that quarter.

The game got away from Haverhill in the next four minutes.

The Clippers scored fifteen unanswered points to lead, 36-11, and took the mystery out of the outcome.

“We kept making mistakes,” said Coach Tarpy.

Deirdre and Emma each had six points during the consecutive run of great offense and defense.

The Hillies played much better in the second half. They switched to a zone defense and the easy passes to Emma Foley near the basket disappeared. And when Emma did get the ball, she had to deal with multiple defenders.

Emma still was able to add seven points to her 24-point first half and end up with a career-best thirty-one points. The score difference kept Emma on the bench for some of the fourth quarter or she might have added to her total.

The biggest cheer of the night? It wasn’t for Emma. It was for Sydney Turner after she stole a pass and turned it into her first points of the night.

It was Senior Day and Sydney is Newburyport’s only senior. Sydney had a nice group of friends/family with “Syd” shirts on in attendance.

“I’m so proud of Sydney,” said Clippers coach Karen Grutchfield afterwards. “We always put her on the other team’s best offensive player.”

Emma had nine rebounds and her sister (Olivia) had five rebounds. Makenna Ward had five steals.

I asked Emma about the 63-45 loss to Pentucket last Thursday: “We had breakdowns all over the court. We struggled to score in the second half, and they were getting layup after layup. When we do a good job of stopping the drives, we play well. It didn’t help that Makenna and I had four fouls. It was tough to play defense with those fouls. Hopefully, we’ll see them again.”

Newburyport 19 17 11 11 = 58

Haverhill 8 7 12 8 = 35

(The pictures will enlarge.)

Sydney Spencer guarded by Olivia McDonald

Leave a comment

Filed under Haverhill, Newburyport

Tagged as Deirdre McElhinney, Emma Foley, Haley Phillips, Sydney Turner

January 25, 2022 · 12:13 am

Undefeated Newburyport defeats Masco 58-40

Olivia McDonald (9 points) provided a spark for the Clippers

(Boxford MA) “You have to come to their level and compete,” said Masconomet coach Shannon Kirwan Monday night, “or you lose by eighteen.”

The Lady Chieftains did lose by eighteen (58-40) to Newburyport but for a quarter plus they more than held their own.

But the undefeated Clippers (10-0) were game-long persistent on defense. They forced twenty-six turnovers that led to twenty-seven points.

“I thought we played them tough,” said NHS coach Karen Grutchfield post-game. “I’m proud of them.”

The Lady Chieftains did a nice job defensively on Newburyport high-scorer Emma Foley in the early going. Emma faced two defenders as she positioned herself in close. For a time, her teammates forced passes inside (some led to turnovers) and struggled to score without Emma getting involved.

Kylie Dumont, Taylor Bovardi, and Kaleigh Monagle keyed Masco’s 15-12 first quarter advantage.

Things turned Newburyport’s way in the second quarter sparked by the appearance of reserve sophomore Olivia McDonald.

“Coach (Grutchfield) encouraged me to take the shot if I have it,” said Olivia afterwards.

Olivia started the second quarter with a layup and then hit a three to tie the score at 17-17.

With Masco keen on protecting the inside, Olivia found yet another long-range opening and nailed it to put the Clippers in front to stay, 22-19, with 4 ½ minutes left.

Newburyport was able to add eight more points before half-time. The Lady Chieftains, meanwhile, were held scoreless for nearly four minutes. Krystal Zepaj ended the scoring drought with a 3-pointer in the last minute.

Another three by Krystal, in the third quarter, had the home team within nine points (36-27) but the rest of the quarter saw Newburyport put a 12-3 run together.

Makenna Ward had eight of her twelve points in the third quarter while teammate Sydney Turner had six of her eight points in that same quarter. The Clippers led by eighteen (48-30) after three periods and would finish the game with the same margin.

“We kept our composure,” added Coach Grutchfield. “They came at us pretty hard.”

When Masco was forced to play man-to-man, Emma Foley (14 points) had clearer opportunities in close and took advantage.

“Masco is definitely a good team,” explained Deirdre McElhinney (10 points) afterwards. “They forced us to set up our offense a little more than we have had to in the past.”

The closest game the Clippers have had this season was a ten-point win over Pentucket.

“We keep pushing,” added Deirdre talking about the winning streak. “We’re trying to keep the momentum going.”

Coach Kirwan: “Newburyport is a very good team. Every part of their game they do well. They play basketball the way it is supposed to be played; tough, hard-nosed, and aggressive.”

Coach Grutchfield: “Olivia (McDonald) was a really good spark off the bench. She also did a nice job defending their best player.”

Masco made six 3’s including three by Krystal Zepaj.

The Clippers are now on a stretch of seven straight away games. They’ve won the first two including tonight’s game.

Thanks to Andy Tapparo for several of the stats I used. Andy produces stats for every Masco game and runs a terrific online site featuring the Lady Chieftains. It’s the best I’ve seen.

Newburyport 12 18 18 10 = 58

Masconomet 15 7 8 10 = 40

(The pictures will enlarge.)

Kylie Dumont guarded by Deirdre McElhinney

Olivia McDonald and Ava Caron chase a loose ball

Deirdre McElhinney guarded by Kaleigh Monagle

Leave a comment

Filed under Masconomet, Newburyport

Tagged as Deirdre McElhinney, Emma Foley, Kaleigh Monagle, Krystal Zepaj, MaKenna Ward, Olivia McDonald, Sydney Turner, Taylor Bovardi

January 13, 2022 · 11:56 pm

Newburyport routs Lawrence 61-23

Emma Foley led the Clippers with twenty points

(The pictures will enlarge when you click on them.)

(Newburyport MA) You never know for sure what to expect in a non-league game.

You read about your opponent and maybe even scout them, but actual conclusions are reserved for the game itself.

Newburyport put the clamps on Lawrence’s best player (Tyanna Medina) and the visitors from the Merrimack Valley Conference never had a chance.

The final was Newburyport 61, Lawrence 23.

Tyanna displayed all the skills of a next-level player but she was usually kept far from the basket.

“She was a really good player,” said Olivia McDonald who took a turn defending Tyanna. “Our coaches told me to force her left and there would be help. Everyone did a good job of helping.”

Sydney Turner, MaKenna Ward, and Anna Seidel also spent time corralling the Lancers’ sophomore and limited her to six points.

Meanwhile, on the offensive end, the Clippers were productive in the first-half, up-tempo approach as well as the second-half, deliberate approach.

The Lancers (1-5) used a zone defense that was slow to set up after missed shots. The fast-breaking Clippers turned rebounds into open looks and layups.

Newburyport scored all the points in the first four minutes and sped ahead, 14-0.

Emma Foley continues to be able to maneuver into open looks in close. Her ability to go either right or left, and use either hand successfully, makes her a scoring threat against any single coverage she faces.

Emma had twenty points tonight.

“Our team was really ready to play tonight,” said Newburyport coach Karen Grutchfield post-game. “We have to learn to do that against every team, not just against a team that is not that strong.”

The Clippers had a 24-4 first quarter lead and extended the margin to 44-10 at the half.

Deirdre McElhinney (12 points) and Sydney Turner (11 points) scored all their points in the first half.

In the second half, the Clippers resisted the fast breaks and were very patient on offense.

The most entertaining part of the second half was when Tyanna Medina and Olivia McDonald turned up the defensive pressure on each other.

Both are tenacious and confident. Tyanna is used to being hounded because of her scoring reputation. Olivia is quick and willing to cause a turnover any way she can.

“I told Olivia that I got goosebumps tonight watching her play such good defense on such a talented player,” said Coach Grutchfield.

Here is a four-picture sequence of the two of them getting after it:

Emerson McCormick had the game-winner in the JV game

Coach Grutchfield had two players on her bench that she couldn’t use. Why? Emerson McCormick and Maddie Hopwood had played the entire JV game in which Newburyport won late. Emerson scored the go-ahead basket while Maddie sealed the win with free throws.

Olivia McDonald: “I think that the reason we are doing so well this season is that our defense leads into our offense.”

Newburyport 24 20 6 11 = 61

Lawrence 4 6 5 8 = 23

(The pictures enlarge if you click on them.)

Maddie Hopwood sealed the JV game with free throws

Leave a comment

Filed under Lawrence, Newburyport

Tagged as Anna Seidel, Deirdre McElhinney, Emma Foley, Sydney Turner, Tyanna Medina

January 6, 2022 · 11:41 pm

Undefeated Newburyport (6-0) downs North Reading 45-29

Brianne Slattery chased by Olivia McDonald

(Newburyport MA) Things haven’t gone perfectly for the Newburyport girls’ basketball team.

Tonight was another one of those nights.

“The game was frustrating,” said NHS coach Karen Grutchfield afterwards. “We didn’t execute very well, and we missed a ton of shots early.”

But despite the imperfections the Clippers are perfect where it counts the most; wins and losses.

Newburyport (6-0) defeated North Reading, 45-29 in Cape Ann League action.

Good luck to the teams in the Cape Ann League when Newburyport plays really well!

“She (Coach Karen Grutchfield) has a great team here,” said NR coach Bob Romeo afterwards. “They play with a level of execution that it takes to win.”

It didn’t start out that way tonight as the Clippers trailed after three minutes, 4-2, and called a timeout.

Not sure what was said in the timeout but the next two minutes of playing time were a showcase for recently returned Deirdre McElhinney. Deirdre had missed several games with Covid.

The talented junior knocked down consecutive three’s and put in a fancy layup after a feed from MaKenna Ward.

Suddenly it’s the Clippers up, 10-4, and their lead would grow from there.

“It’s good to be back,” said Deirdre (12 points). “I’m feeling much better than I did last week.”

The Hornets (1-5) then sealed their fate by slipping into a nightmarish second quarter getting only three points.

“We struggle to score especially when we play really good teams that dig in and play defense,” said NR coach Bob Romeo.

The Hornets, led by Brianne Slattery and Faith Newton, were able to get to the basket but had trouble finishing. When the Hornets were fouled, they struggled at the line.

“Our foul shooting (1-for-8 in the second quarter) was not good,” admitted Coach Romeo. “If you can’t make free throws and layups it’s going to be a long game.”

Newburyport led, 25-9, at the half and extended that lead to twenty points (35-15) in the third quarter.

Emma Foley (15 points) got hot from the right baseline collecting eight points in the third quarter.

North Reading played an active zone defense for the entire game. Newburyport featured man-to-man almost all the way.

“Anna Seidel did a good job on #15 (Faith Newton),” said Coach Grutchfield post-game. “I thought she made a difference.”

North Reading kept Newburyport out of the 50’s for the first time this season.

“They (North Reading) showed that we didn’t run our zone offense very effectively,” said Coach Grutchfield.

The Clippers usually passed into open looks but shot inconsistently from the openings.

“It was good to play against a zone,” said Deirdre. “We were able to work for shots outside and hit our posts when they came out after us.”

Coach Romeo liked the way his team attacked the basket. “We were getting to the rim against a very good defensive team. That’s a positive.”

Coach Grutchfield: “It’s fabulous to have Deirdre back. She’s fun to watch. She’s such a smart player. But I do want her to shoot more.”

The two teams will match up again on January 21^st at North Reading.

(The pictures enlarge when you click on them.)

Deirdre McElhinney passes to Brela Pavao (13)

Deirdre McElhinney tries to get to the basket

Leave a comment

Filed under Newburyport, North Reading

Tagged as Anna Seidel, Brianne Slattery, Coach Bob Romeo, Coach Karen Grutchfield, Deirdre McElhinney, Emma Foley, Faith Newton

December 15, 2021 · 1:07 am

Newburyport defeats Manchester-Essex 53-26

(Click on the pictures below and they will enlarge.)

Plenty of pressure applied by the Clippers

(Newburyport MA) Don’t let the final score fool you.

The final was Newburyport 53, Manchester-Essex 26.

But the Hornets were more than holding their own into the second half.

In fact, the visitors were ahead, 22-21, 2 ½ minutes into the second half.

But the one constant was the Newburyport pressure defense. In the second half, that defense created points in bunches and ME couldn’t keep up.

“We had a great first half,” said ME coach Lauren Dubois afterwards, “and we handled their pressure better.”

“We struggled, however, against it in the second half,” she added. “Newburyport picked up the intensity and we ran out of gas a little bit.”

MaKenna Ward stole the ball and went the full length of the court to give the Clippers the lead for good, 23-22, in the second half.

After that the non-stop pressure set up a steady flow of productive possessions for Newburyport.

“When we play our defense,” said MaKenna Ward, “we get steals and we run.”

Olivia Foley and MaKenna Ward turn up the defensive pressure

“We work on a lot of different defenses,” added MaKenna.

In the first half, the Clippers were primarily man-to-man and while they created twenty turnovers (by my count) those turnovers weren’t leading to a flow of points.

In the second half, the double-teams started. Makenna Ward, Deirdre McElhinney, and Olivia McDonald swarmed the Hornets’ ballhandlers into miscues. In the second half, the takeaways often turned into points.

“Our team is fast,” said MaKenna. “When we push, we score the most.”

Newburyport’s Emma Foley (14 points) had all of those points in the second half.

“We held them to six points in the second half,” said Clippers coach Karen Grutchfield post-game. “That was the difference.”

Coach Grutchfield couldn’t help but reflect on her team’s first half: “It was frustrating. We missed a lot of layups and free throws.”

“But,” she added, “we overcame the first-half adversity and I think we can enjoy our play in the second half.”

One thing that both coaches could agree on was the impressive game that ME’s Emma Fitzgerald had.

Coach Dubois: “Emma brings intensity. She’s a great leader. She battles hard on every possession.”

Coach Grutchfield: “We had trouble with #3 (Emma Fitzgerald). She’s a very good player.”

Emma led all scorers with sixteen points. She tallied all of ME’s second-half points.

MaKenna Ward and Deirdre McElhinney both had thirteen points for Newburyport.

This was a game played almost entirely on the inside. No three’s were made and very few were attempted.

When Newburyport went into organized offense, they were intent on getting the ball inside to Emma Foley. That strategy was the key to Emma’s productive second half.

This was the season opener for both squads.

Free throw shooting was an adventure for both teams. They combined to miss twenty-five freebies. ME was 10/25 while Newburyport was 13/23.

Coach Dubois: “Newburyport is a great team with a lot of experienced players back.”

Coach Grutchfield: “The win was nice, but we all have a lot of improving to do.”

MaKenna Ward: “I think that we were a little bit scared in the first half and not playing our best defense.”

Newburyport 11 – 8 – 17 – 17 = 53

Manchester-Essex 9 – 11 – 4 – 2 = 26

The Clippers scored the last fifteen points of the game.

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

Leave a comment

Filed under Manchester-Essex, Newburyport

Tagged as Coach Karen Grutchfield, Coach Lauren Dubois, Deirdre McElhinney, Emma Fitzgerald, Emma Foley, MaKenna Ward

January 13, 2020 · 10:59 pm

Newburyport’s fast start enough to defeat Haverhill 47-35

Lindsay Joulbert faces tight defense by Jackie Doucette.

Makenna Ward (14) moves quickly after a Haverhill turnover

(Newburyport MA) Newburyport had the defensive heat on high from the get-go and gained permanent separation early against Haverhill.

The Monday night non-league game was an unsavory 47-35 loss for the Hillies.

“That was not Haverhill basketball you saw out there,” explained a disappointed HHS coach Melissa Tarpy afterwards. “We didn’t play basic basketball.”

It certainly didn’t help the Hillies (3-6) that Merrimack Valley League All-Star McKayla Dingle was not in uniform.

“We were missing a player but that is no excuse,” added Coach Tarpy. “Teams step up in those situations and we didn’t.”

The Clippers (6-2) turned full-court man-to-man defense into ten Haverhill turnovers and a nineteen-point first quarter. Haverhill never recovered from the 19-7 deficit.

Sami Cavanaugh covers Kya Burdier (9 points)

“We got turnovers and layups,” said Sami Cavanaugh afterwards.

Sometimes turnovers merely change possession. The Clippers had the kind that led to points.

“If our defense is strong, everything else is dictated by that,” said Newburyport coach Karen Grutchfield.

“We’ll never win a game with that many turnovers,” added Coach Tarpy.

The home team started the second quarter with two more hoops (Abby Gillingham layup from Sadie Vandenberg, Deirdre McElhinney steal and layin). The Clippers’ advantage became, 23-7, and had me wondering why I thought this might be a competitive game!

The rest of the way, however, was competitive. Haverhill outscored Newburyport 28-24 in the remaining twenty-three minutes of action, but the closest the Hillies would get to the lead was, 35-28, in the first minute of the final quarter.

Newburyport immediately answered by getting baskets when, first Makenna Ward, and then Ann Affolter, got the ball in to 6-3 Abby Gillingham on the block. Abby was able to turn and get consecutive layups against out-sized opponents.

Makenna Ward sends a bounce pass to Abby Gillingham

Abby gets good positioning to receive a pass in close

Abby (14 points) gets a layup

“We have tall forwards,” said Sami. “It was important to get the ball in to them because Haverhill couldn’t match up with them.”

Kya Burdier set to block Sami Cavanaugh’s shot

Sami added two free throws to run the Clippers consecutive-point total to six and boosted their margin to thirteen (41-28). The NHS defense kept Haverhill from getting inside of double figures over the final five minutes.

The Clippers had one turnover in the breakaway first quarter but fifteen more (by my count) after that. “We turned the ball over a lot,” said Coach Grutchfield, “and that helped them get back into the game.”

Against North Reading, last Wednesday, the Clippers struggled to get the ball inside without losing possession. Much better job tonight.

Neither team did themselves any favors at the free throw line; Newburyport (8/18) & Haverhill (9/26).

Senior Leandra Kwo led HHS with thirteen points. Sophomore Kya Burdier added nine points.

Deirdre McElhinney (9 points) looks to pass

Abby Gillingham (14 points) led all scorers. A jumper from the corner was part of her collection of points. Freshman Deirdre McElhinney added nine points including a triple.

Coach Grutchfield: “We have good depth. We did a good job of getting the ball inside to Abby. It was good to see Makenna (Ward) looking for her shot tonight.”

Coach Tarpy: “It was probably one of the worst games we’ve played defensively. We’ve got more than half the season left. We will also face Newburyport again.”

Haverhill is a D1 team from the Merrimack Valley Conference. The Hillies had their best season in sixteen years last year when they were 16-6 and won a tournament game. Haverhill was 17-62 in the four seasons before last year.

Kya Burdier was All-MVC last season. Leandra Kwo was an Lawrence Eagle-Tribune All-Star in the same season.

Newburyport box

Haverhill box

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

Abby Gillingham sets a screen for Sami Cavanaugh

Anna Affolter

Christina Firek

Deirdre McElhinney drives right

Opening tip

Sami Cavanaugh

Sami Cavanaugh gets by Haley Phillips

Carli Quinlan

fight for possession

Jackie Doucette

Kya Burdier in for two

On the floor

Leave a comment

Filed under Haverhill, Newburyport

Tagged as Abby Gillingham, Deirdre McElhinney, Keandra Kwo, Kya Burdier

January 8, 2020 · 10:24 pm

Newburyport holds off North Reading 38-36 in defensive struggle

Newburyport celebrates their fifth win

Deirdre McElhinney scores in the last minute

Julia Howse left with an injury in the second half

(Newburyport MA) Freshman Deirdre McElhinney turned a last-minute North Reading miscue into an old-fashioned 3-point play to give Newburyport the cushion needed to hold off the Hornets, 38-36, on Wednesday night.

Both D2 teams had scoring strengths, but tenacious defense minimized those strengths.

The Clippers (5-1) wanted to take advantage of their height inside, while North Reading (3-3) wanted their long-range shooting to spark them.

“It was a battle,” said NR coach Bob Romeo afterwards. “We told the team before the game that this would be a one-or-two possession game, and it was.”

After a missed free throw (Sami Cavanaugh), the Hornets had twelve seconds to either tie the game or win it. They got two shots off but under heavy pressure and couldn’t connect.

Ali Grasso led all scorers with twelve points

“I’m thrilled with how tough our kids were down the stretch against a good team,” explained NHS coach Karen Grutchfield.

The half-court man-to-man defenses kept either team from gaining significant separation.

North Reading had a six-point lead (10-4) after a Lauren Sullivan (9 points) breakaway in the opening period.

Abby Gillingham looks for her shot

Newburyport had a six-point lead of its own in the third quarter (24-18) after an Abby Gillingham layin.

The rest of the time it was close between the two Cape Ann League opponents. There were six ties and five lead changes.

The visitors had a 3-point edge (32-29) five minutes into the final quarter after an Ali Grasso (12 points) long one.

The Clippers answered with their best collection of consecutive offense (six straight) over the next minute. In the crucial run, senior Sami Cavanaugh started it by setting up junior Leah Metsker for a layup and then added a jump shot. The other two points came on a perfectly executed inbounds play: Abby Gillingham set a screen for teammate Sadie Vandenberg along the foul line. Sadie used the screen and rolled wide open into the lane for an uncontested layup.

Perfectly executed in-bounds play gave NHS a layup

That run of points put NHS ahead by three.

Makenna Ward has a shot blocked by Lauren Sullivan

The Hornets cut that lead to one (Lauren Sullivan rebound basket) and had the ball back in the last minute with a chance to do even better. But the Clippers forced a turnover on the NR perimeter and Sami sent Deirdre off for the outcome-sealing layup + one.

“I felt that Anna Affolter (9 points) and Deirdre (7 points) really stepped up,” said Coach Grutchfield. “Sami led us. She’s the heart of the team.”

North Reading had five three’s. Four of them came in the second half.

“We hit some big shots in that stretch when we got back into the game in the second half,” said Coach Romeo.

“North Reading is a good team with great shooters,” said Coach Grutchfield. “We did a good job defending Ali Grasso. She’s a very good player.”

Several of the Clippers had turns guarding Ali including Anna Affolter and Deirdre McElhinney.

Ali had twenty-three points the last time the Hornets visited Newburyport.

Leah Metsker looks for a pass

NR’s top inside presence (Julia Howse) injured herself diving for a ball going out-of-bounds early in the third quarter and didn’t return.

“We were a little short-handed when Julia (8 points) went out,” admitted Coach Romeo.

The Clippers (8-12 last year) are off to a nice start with their 5-1 record. They have yet to face Pentucket, Masconomet, and Amesbury. North Reading (3-3) has losses to Pentucket and Amesbury.

“We’ll be okay,” said Coach Romeo. “We’re getting better.”

Pentucket coach John McNamara was in the house.

Coach Romeo on wearing green after all those years wearing Masco red: “I was due for some new clothes.”

North Reading box

Newburyport box

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