RallyNorth.net

It wasn't an injury bug, but a flu bug that ran rampant through Londonderry's roster earlier this week and forced the Lancers to have just six girls at practice preparing for their first-round battle with Dover.

It's an age-old question in basketball, which is more effective: Size or outside shooting?

There may not be a definitive answer. But if a team has both, it's usually a recipe for success and last night the Manchester Essex girls had both of those ingredients.

Fellowship Christian fell in the Division 4 North first round to Mt. St. Joseph, 62-39.

"We faced a good, tall team," said Rams coach Scott Phillips. "We were very cold in the first half. They were hitting everything."

Trailing after each of the first three quarters, the Methuen High girls simply refused to allow their season to end. Playing at Somerville in the Division 1 North opening round matchup, the Rangers rallied for 23 points in the fourth quarter, erasing a 42-39 deficit to defeat the host Hilltoppers, 62-55.

After winning the Commonwealth Conference Small division, Presentation of Mary had high hopes of a long state tournament run.

Instead, the No. 7 Panthers ran into ferocious Newburyport, which overwhelmed PMA, 49-28, in the first round of the Division 3 North tourney.

No. 15 Georgetown pulled off the biggest local upset of the state tournament thus far, shocking No. 2 Matignon, 67-62, in the first round of the Division 4 North tourney.

Taryn O'Connell tallied 24 points and 17 rebounds for the Royals, who improved to 11-10. Matignon, which fell to 18-3, trailed 45-23 at halftime before outscoring Georgetown 39-22 in after the break. But they couldn't overcome the Royals.

A pull-up jumper from the wing, crashing the boards down low, even tossing sharp passes to break a trap | Katie Zenevitch did it all for Central Catholic in its 74-48 romp over Lynn English in the opening round of the Division 1 North tournament.

IPSWICH | At one moment there was an incredulous celebration, a mob scene on the floor of the Ipswich High basketball gym.

Moments later, the devastation of finding out that the Tigers had suffered a horrible loss to Watertown, 52-51, in a Division 3 North first round playoff game that will live through the ages in this Cape Ann community.

Last night the Gloucester girls basketball team was reminded that basketball is indeed a tall person's sport.

The young and relatively inexperienced 12th-seeded Fishermen, with Jill Lukegord as the team's lone senior, met No. 5 Belmont in the opening round of the Division 2 North state tournament. However, experience was not so much the issue in this contest. Height was.

Just wait until next year.

Another season's experience and growth could make North Andover a player in the Division 2 North girls basketball tournament. But last night, there were too many periods of empty offense that erased an impressive defensive effort and allowed Melrose to pull away for a 47-28 first-round victory.