DOVER — This yr, Pentucket launched into a brand new journey within the Div. 3 ladies basketball ranks. So far, the success has continued for its storied program.
Senior Gabby Belacqua completed with 19 factors to go together with eight rebounds, whereas sophomore Amelia Crowe added a 17-point outburst, because the ninth-seeded Panthers continued their successful custom with a wild 52-47 highway victory over No. 8 Dover-Sherborn.
“I think we let them get a few (points) late in the first half,” stated Pentucket coach John McNamara. “That just changed the second half. We were up 12 in the first half, then they cut it down to eight, got momentum. That changed how (Dover-Sherborn) felt about the game going into the second half. Credit to our kids … it was a gut check. We made some mistakes at the end, but this is all about winning and moving on. So we’re happy.”
The sport was labeled as a coinflip on paper, as many would count on. To the shock of few, it panned out with a sequence of runs, with Dover-Sherborn (14-8) leaping out to an early 11-9 lead.
Then the Panthers (21-1) answered. Belacqua completed with 9 factors within the opening half, as Pentucket proceeded to register a 14-0 run lasting into the second quarter. Despite a raucous opposing crowd, the Panthers discovered themselves with a 26-18 lead at intermission.
However, Dover-Sherborn refused to relent, and took issues over within the ensuing body. Led by Erica Hills, the Raiders trimmed their seemingly-insurmountable deficit to 39-37 getting into the fourth quarter. They would then knot the rating at 39-all off a putback by Elliana Scalabrine with just a few moments to go in regulation.
“We had a couple of moments where we were really uptight,” Crowe stated. “We just had to realize that we could stay in this game. We just needed to stay calm. I think realizing that we can do all this stuff we’ve been practicing, taking that down and putting it into a game was huge for us.”
When the Panthers wanted a hero, Crowe answered the bell with 5 factors within the stanza. This included a game-clinching three with 3:47 remaining, as Pentucket seized a 52-41 lead.
“I think that was great ball movement that we had,” Crowe stated. “I think we executed really well. We didn’t panic, we didn’t drive out of control, and we ended up just getting the shot that we wanted.”
While Dover-Sherborn ramped up the strain within the ultimate jiffy of play, the deficit was too steep of a mountain for the Raiders to scale. Ultimately, the Panthers had been in a position to stave off any ideas of a miraculous rally down the stretch.
Ava DiBurro added a double-double for Pentucket, ending with 10 factors and 10 rebounds. Hills completed with 15 factors to hold Dover-Sherborn.
Pentucket will look to upset a juggernaut subsequent when it faces top-ranked Foxboro.
“We’re going recruiting tonight,” joked McNamara. “I don’t know, maybe show (the kids) the Villanova-Georgetown game from ‘85 or whatever? The perfect game? I don’t know. We’ve got our work cut out for us, but we’ve got a chance for another game.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com