PEABODY — If you need a textbook definition of creating momentum, look no further than what Bishop Fenwick’s senior captain Celia Neilson did against arch rival St. Mary’s Lynn in her home gym Wednesday night.
Neither team gained any separation until the early part of the fourth quarter, when Neilson took over with a mix of passing, shooting and fearlessly driving downhill into the lane. Her efforts helped the Crusaders build their biggest lead of the game and led to a 55-46 victory in a battle of Catholic Central League unbeatens.
“I think the biggest thing was our composure,” said Neilson, who finished with 23 points, seven assists and four steals. “St. Mary’s trap is really good to be able to get through it and run our stuff was huge.”
Neilson’s ability to mix her inside and outside shot with her uncanny floor vision finding open shooters was trouble for the Spartans (7-1) all night. She also sank 11 free throws and her courage drawing contact at both ends of the floor proved inspirational for the Crusaders (6-0).
“There’s not a player in the state of Massachusetts with more heart than Celia,” said Fenwick coach Adam DeBaggis. “She was ready to go tonight. The look on her face before the game? She looked like a football player.”
It was a nip-and-tuck affair played at a frenetic pace for most of the night. There were eight lead changes in the first three quarters and neither team led by more than seven with the Crusaders up by one going into the fourth (32-31).
In a span of about 90 seconds midway through the final frame, senior captain Caitlin Boyle scored seven of her 18 total points as the Crusaders used a 15-4 run to build a 12 point lead. All three of those crucial field goals were assisted by Neilson, including a dagger 3-pointer that came straight ahead at the top of the line.
“We’ve been playing together since sixth grade, so I know where she’s going to be and she knows where I’m going to pass it. There’s a lot of trust there,” Neilson said of Boyle, the type of player who doesn’t need many shots or touches to impact a game.
Defensively, Fenwick had a tremendous night. Boyle had four blocked and anchored the middle, helping hold off fellow Beverly native Charleigh Green (11 points) in the paint. Marblehead native McKenna O’Connell, a freshman, also scored 11 for St. Mary’s, which was a bit uncharacteristically cold from the floor.
“We were a little rattled and we never settled in,” said Spartans coach Jeff Newhall. “Our effort was good. You’re not going to go 27-0 in a season, so sometimes you have to lose in order to learn.”
Fenwick used a 10-0 first quarter run to take the lead, but the Spartans battled back in the second quarter. A late triple by junior Abby Jenkins put Fenwick ahead by three (22-19) at the break and the rivals, who play each other again in Lynn in 22 days, traded baskets throughout the third.
“We talked a lot about playing all the way to the horn,” DeBaggis said of the way the Crusaders closed with a 23-point fourth quarter. “A lot of it was our defense. We had to stay playing aggressively on defense.”
Jenkins, senior captain Brittney Figulski (4 points) and junior Reese Spurchise were quite disruptive on the defensive end for Fenwick. Young guards Jane Koulopoulos (a sophomore from Danvers) and Taisha Castillo (a freshman from Peabody) chipped in big efforts as well.
“Hitting shots helped us pull away but getting steals on defense was just as big,” said Neilson. “Brittney, Reese and Abby were so great on defense — especially on the ball.”
Bishop Fenwick 55, St. Mary’s Lynn 46
at Bishop Fenwick, Peabody
St. Mary’s;8;11;12;15;46 Bishop Fenwick;14;8;10;23;55 Individual scoring St. Mary’s — Emmanuel 3-0-6, Roberts 4-0-8, Owumi 2-0-4, Holmes 1-0-2, Green 5-0-11, Frye 1-2-4, O’Connell 4-1-11, Watson 0-0-0. Totals 20-3-46.
Bishop Fenwick — Neilson 5-11-22, Boyle 7-3-18, Figulski 2-0-4, Jenkins 2-0-5, Spurchise 0-0-0, Pidgeon 0-1-1, Koulopoulos 0-0-0, Castillo 2-1-5. Totals 18-16-55.
Three-pointers — SM, O’Connell 2, Green; BF, Neilson, Boyle, Jenkins.
Halftime score — BF, 22-19
Records — SM, 7-1; BF, 6-0