Pentucket wins 18th defeating Newburyport 60-29 in girls basketball

February 13, 2013 Peter McClelland

Peter McClelland

 

NEWBURYPORT, Mass. -- Normally it’s the pressure defense that gets you when you face the Pentucket Sachems.

Not so Tuesday night. It was an on-fire Pentucket offense.

Newburyport (10-7) had no defensive answers, as the Sachems cruised to a 60-29 win, Cape Ann League action.

Pentucket (18-1) had the long ball going early.  Four minutes into the first quarter three different Sachems -- Alex Moore, Kelsi McNamara, and Coley Viselli -- clicked from downtown.  That barrage of 3-point offense helped put the Clippers behind, 13-2, and there was no recovery.

The visitors closed the quarter with yet another three (Moore) and two Tess Nogueira layups and the rout was on, 24-7, after one period.

It was one of those games where no matter what defense NHS coach Greg Dollas tried ran into trouble.  He used a zone and Pentucket made three’s.  He played man-to-man and the Sachems blew past one-on-one defenders for easy layups.  It was a defensive nightmare for the Clippers, plain and simple.

In the second quarter the threes were key in another Pentucket run of points.  With the score, 28-10, after three minutes, the Sachems put a 10-2 package in place over the next four minutes.  Three-pointers by Moore and Viselli as well as layups by Viselli and McKenna Kilian provided the points.  The Sachem advantage was extended to, 38-12, in the process, with a minute left.

The rest of the game was played mostly by reserves on both teams.  Pentucket only had a 22-16 edge during the rest of the game but that was probably little consolation to anyone connected to the Newburyport program.

All of the Pentucket starters reached double figures in limited minutes: McNamara (12), Moore (11), Nogueira (10), Viselli (10), and Kilian (10).

Newburyport had 10 girls score with the Pettigrew sisters (Mary and Emily) leading the way with four points each.

The Sachems connected on nine 3-pointers.  Reserve Kassidy Kennefick nailed two in the fourth quarter.

In the previous meeting between the two teams on Jan. 4 at West Newbury, the Sachems rode McNamara’s four threes to a, 61-33, win.

Newburyport, which has qualified for the state tournament, finishes its regular season on Thursday against Masconomet at Masconomet. Pentucket will be hosting Hamilton-Wenham on the same night in what should be an emotional Seniors Day for the Sachems.  

Newburyport recognized its seniors tonight – Lea Tomasz, Rebecca Kell, and Casey Barlow.

Pentucket boxscore

From McClelland Miscellanea

 

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