RallyNorth.net

HAVERHILL — The rust showed on Sarah Higgins and the rest of the Pentucket girls basketball team in the Division 3 North quarterfinals at Whittier Tech yesterday afternoon — for about four minutes.

Coley Viselli scored a game-high 15 points as Pentucket clinched at least a share of the Cape Ann League Division 1 title, rolling over Newburyport 49-30.

Sarah Higgins and Tess Nogueira each added 13 for the Sachems, who can lock up the title outright with a win over Triton tomorrow.

Morgan Lumb pumped in a season-high 22 points and North Andover (10-6) blitzed Newburyport 47-36, to punch its ticket to the state tourney. Lumb, Pam Coufos, Mackenzie Mello and Leah Chittick were defensive stalwarts.

Commanding free throw shooting did the trick as Georgetown beat Newburyport for the first time in over five years, 44-42. The Royals sank 10 of 14 foul shots down the stretch, and staunch defense led by Morgan Gott (11 points, 6 assists and 4 steals) set the stage.

After Pentucket's 14-point halftime lead withered to two entering the fourth quarter, the Sachems regrouped to pull away from Newburyport 44-37. Sarah Higgins led the way with 14 points while Coley Viselli had 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists.