RallyNorth.net

Mon, Feb 18, 2008 06:00 PM @ Beverly

Team	1	2	3	4	Final
Masconomet	27	10	11	16	64
Beverly	10	7	9	10	36

Chieftains confuse Beverly, capture third straight NS Invitational

Tuesday, February, 19 By Matt Jenkins
Staff writer

Nineteen times this year, a look of confusion has been painted on the coach's face opposing the Masconomet girls basketball team.

Last night, it was time for Beverly's Matt Smith to take a turn.

"If they're not the best Division 2 team in the state, then they're the best (Div. 2) team in Eastern Mass.," Smith said after the previously red-hot Panthers were dealt a one-sided 64-36 loss in the final of the North Shore Hoop Invitational.

"Watching (Masco star) Caroline Stewart, a couple times I just looked at my assistant coaches and shook my head. It doesn't matter what you do: left side, right side, double team, zone. It really doesn't matter. There's not much you can do."

Stewart, who became the first girls player in tournament history to win back-to-back tourney MVPs since Peabody's D'Yana Delpero did it in 2001-02, is the centerpiece of the Masconomet machine. There's no questioning that.

However, if you think the answer to the Masco riddle is finding a way to shut down the Chieftains' center, then you've never seen them play.

Senior point guard Annie Burns and junior guard Jamie White have also been known to torment opponents, and fellow starters Krissy DiBenedetto and Merry DeAngelis are more than just role players. Stewart gives her teammates space to operate, and they do so with the precision of a brain surgeon.

"I actually started the game in a box-and-1 on Burns, and DiBenedetto smoked us in the first quarter. She was absolutely on fire," Smith said.

"Obviously we didn't hit a lot of our shots, but I don't know what more we could have done against that team. That's as good a team as I've seen in a long time."

Smith is not alone in his assessment. Danvers girls coach Pat Veilleux was left to wonder what else his team could have done in its first round loss to Masco Saturday afternoon. Even Chieftains coach Bob Romeo feels his team is peaking just in time for the state tournament.

Beverly, winners of five straight coming into the final, never had the chance to gain any momentum in the first quarter.

Masco started off hot from the perimeter, then turned defense into offense for several steals and breakaway layups. After eight minutes the Chieftains led, 27-10, and there was little doubt who would be collecting the eighth girls' trophy in tourney history.

"That was about as good a start as we've had all year," Romeo said. "We go fast to start every game, but the ball movement that first period was unbelievable. Everybody made the extra pass that got us an even better shot. We got a lot of layups and we hit some nice kick-out jump shots. If we pass the ball like that, we're really tough to defend."

Masco (19-1) has now won three consecutive North Shore Invitational titles. But a championship in this tourney isn't all that motivates the Chieftains at this point in the season.

For the last few seasons, Masconomet looked at teams like Melrose and Lincoln-Sudbury as the big obstacles in Division 2 North.

This year, there isn't such a team for the Chieftains. That's because everyone else in the North is viewing Masco that way.

"I think playing well gets you momentum coming into the postseason," Romeo said. "We've been playing well. We've managed to stay healthy, knock on wood. That's so important in the state tournament. You need all of your weapons."

Masco's weapons | mainly the starting five | contributed 56 points last night. They could have had quite a few more if Romeo didn't go to the bench early.

Stewart and DiBenedetto each had 15 points for the Chieftains, while White and DeAngelis each had nine. Burns scored all of her eight points in the first half.

Masco celebrated at center court with the over-sized championship trophy, but the Chieftains plan on partying well into March.

"We have to stay focused. That's the main aspect of what coach is preaching," Stewart said. "Our first half, that's the best we've ever passed. Everything was right on time and we clicked as a team in the first half and we didn't look back.

"Hopefully that will keep going through the tournament."