RallyNorth.net

Four-guard offense lifts Pentucket past Swampscott

Wednesday, March, 05 By John Shimer
Staff writer

No one said repeating as the Division 3 North sectional champs was going to be easy.

Pentucket watched its 10-point lead over Swampscott shrink to one inside the final two minutes of play during last night's Division 3 North semifinal. But, thanks to some clutch free-throw shooting, the Sachems were able to hold on for a 60-53 victory.

Swampscott, which also fell to Pentucket in the semis last winter, saw its season come to an end at 18-4.

The victorious Sachems (20-2) advance to the North finals at the Tsongas Arena in Lowell Saturday (10:45 a.m.) to face the winner of tonight's game between No. 5 seed Winthrop and No. 8 Weston.

With the Sachems on top by as many as seven points in the first quarter, the Big Blue were able to get Pentucket's 6-foot center Kirsten Daamen (15 points, 13 rebounds, three blocks) in foul trouble and attack the inside.

Swampscott had the momentum when Tara Nimkar's (11 points, 10 rebounds) buzzer-beating jump shot tied it at the half, 26-26.

Swampscott quickly jumped out to a four-point lead (32-28), thanks to 3-pointers from Jen Cleary and Marissa Gambale. Swampscott was riding high when the 6-foot-3 Daamen | who had nine points, seven rebounds, and two blocks in the first half | picked up her third foul 1:30 into the third quarter.

Well, the Sachems can beat you with size or quickness.

Employing a four-guard offense, the Sachems ripped off a 12-3 run to regain the lead, 40-35, thanks to some great inside work by Andrea Attenasio (14 points, 4 rebounds). The lone big girl on the floor for Pentucket, the 5-10 forward connected on three layups in the surge.

"I just knew they would be double-teaming Kirsten (Daamen) because she had an awesome first half," Attenasio said. "And when Kirsten got in foul trouble I knew I had to step up, and hopefully hit some big shots to get us back in it."

Reinserted at the start of the fourth quarter, Daamen reasserted her dominance on the block, picking up a couple of offensive rebounds, getting to the line and scoring four points in a 8-3 run to give the Sachems their biggest lead of the night, 52-42.

Swampscott was not about to lay down, however. The Big Blue went back to their all-out pressure defense, and the switch had immediate results as Pentucket had trouble in-bounding the ball.

"They played great all-out denial on the inbounds," said Pentucket coach John McNamara. "They're a good defensive team, and we got a little rattled by their pressure."

Suddenly, Kara Gilberg (game-high 16 points) came to life at the offensive end for the Big Blue, scoring the team's final eight points to bring them within a point, 54-53.

But point guard Erin McNamara (game-high 16 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists) showed why she earned All-Cape Ann League status as the sophomore knocked down a huge shot coming off a pick just inside the 3-point line to give the Sachems a 56-53 cushion.

Then, after the Sachems pulled off a stop on the defensive end, McNamara sealed the deal with two huge 1-and-1 free throws to give the Sachems a 5-point lead with only 10 seconds remaining.