After taking it first loss of the season to No. 2-ranked Wachusett last week, the Newburyport girls basketball team has responded with a pair of key wins.
The gameplan? Get the ball to Emma Foley.
On Thursday, the senior was sensational in leading the Clippers to a 60-55 win over a quality Masconomet team, scoring a season-high 34 points. Makenna Ward added 14 points in the victory, while Deirdre McElhinney chipped in 8.
Then the following day, Foley responded with a 24-point performance in a 61-42 win over North Reading. McElhinney hit four 3s and finished with 19 points in that one, while Ward added 8.
Averaging 29.0 points over an important two-day stretch is exactly what the Clippers (13-1) needed. For the season, Foley still sits atop the area averaging 19.9 ppg.
Amesbury girls get first win!
The breakthrough came for the Amesbury girls basketball team.
The improving Red Hawks have been playing a lot better basketball as of late, and picked up their first win on Friday after beating Hamilton-Wenham, 47-39. Senior Sami Kimball hit a pair of 3s and led the way with 14 points, sophomore Ellie Marden added 13 and freshman Daragh Bentley chipped in 8.
The Red Hawks will now try to make it two in a row when they travel to take on Greater Lowell on Monday.
Pentucket hockey is buzzing!
Scoring goals hasn’t been an issue for the Pentucket hockey team this winter.
The Panthers already came into the weekend as one of the highest-scoring teams in the CAL (3.5 goals per), and added 11 more tallies across two contests.
On Friday, Nicholas Kutcher scored twice to lead Pentucket to a 5-3 win over a red-hot Amesbury team. Will Sorenson, Jack Stewart and Nolan Cole had the other goals, while Maddox LeBlanc, Matthew Venturi and Jack Welch scored for the Red Hawks (6-4-0).
Then on Saturday, the offense kept rolling for Pentucket in a 6-5 win over Rockport. Stewart and Cole scored twice for the Panthers (5-6-1), while Nolan Gorski and Aaron Wirwicz added the other tallies. Gorski’s goal came with a minute left in regulation to lift the team to the dramatic victory.
Royals get revenge on M-E
Don’t look now, but the Georgetown girls basketball team is sitting atop the CAL Baker standings.
And that’s thanks to a massive revenge win over Manchester-Essex on Friday.
Neiylah Marcelin and Carena Ziolkowski each finished with 17 points, leading the Royals to a much-needed 54-45 win over the Hornets. Freshman Katie Davies has been developing into a key piece, and set a new career-high with 13 points in the victory.
Georgetown (8-4) has now won two straight, and will try to make it three in a row Tuesday night against Lynnfield.
Vikings stand tall in OT
When the time came, the Triton girls basketball team dug deep and made all of the key plays it needed to in overtime last Friday.
Isabella Basile hit a massive 3 in the extra frame, and Kendall Liebert also scored three of her team-high 15 points in OT to lift the Vikings to a 53-47 win over Lynnfield. Olivia Kiricoples added 11 points, and both Basile and Caitlin Frary were right behind with 9.
Coming in at No. 39 in the latest Division 3 power rankings, the win was massive as the Vikings (3-10) try to improve their playoff standing.