RallyNorth.net

Pentucket headed to Garden

Saturday, March, 07 By Hector Longo

LOWELL – The team nobody was talking about just two weeks ago is now two wins from a state championship.
Finishing the shocking trip through the Division 3 North sectional in style, Pentucket ousted No. 3 Arlington Catholic, 70-52, to claim the championship here Saturday afternoon on “Beach Day” at the Tsongas Center.
Seeded 5th and now 17-5, Pentucket moves to the Eastern Mass. championship game Tuesday afternoon (4 p.m.) at the TD Garden against the winner of last night’s Old Rochester-Norton South championship game.
“This is fantastic, no words to describe it. It’s just great to prove all our doubters wrong,” said sophomore Pat Freiermuth, who led the way with 23 points, 13 rebounds and three assists.
“The seniors have really stepped up. They knew we could get this far and they pushed us. Our defense has been fantastic. It’s made a huge difference. If we didn’t play defense like this in our tourney opener, we wouldn’t be here now. It’s a team thing.”
Defense and execution.
Sound familiar?
It’s a formula the Sachems have masterfully employed repeatedly, taking 15 of the last 16 – a streak that stretches back into the first week of January.
Nothing came easily for Arlington Catholic, Pentucket’s fourth straight playoff victim to be held under 60 points.
“They made some shots, a few three-pointers, but a lot of them came off of deflections, or loose rebounds or some kind of crazy play,” said Pentucket coach Ed Hickey. “For the most part, our defense was great.
“We turned the corner because (of our defense). One of the things I noticed early in the season as we lost a couple games (they had just a 2-4 start). I was focused on the offensive end, and we were giving up way too many points. We put a little more emphasis on the defensive end there, and the kids have responded incredibly.”
Pentucket clamped down hardest in the second and third quarters – a stretch in which the Sachems outscored AC, 26-18, to carry a 42-33 advantage into the fourth.
From there, Pentucket just pounded the basketball to the big fella, Freiermuth, who drove the winners’ bus home.
The 6-foot-3 swingman netted a dozen points in the fourth, keeping AC at arm’s length the whole way.
“He’s a kid that can create mismatches, whether inside or outside,” said Hickey. “We have guys capable of making plays. Today several guys did.”
Patrick Beaton added 18 points and Jeff Porter 13 while Will Sullivan scored 10 points and held AC big man Matt Wesoloski to only seven.
Pentucket’s win continues a run of strong tourney performances from the Cape Ann League, which had Hamilton-Wenham stroll to the Division 4 North title on Friday night. H-W is the only team to beat the Sachems since the early season.
“To be called North champion is pretty amazing,” said Patrick Beaton. “Nobody believed we’d be here, being on top is just amazing. Having nobody believing in us just makes it even better.”
 
Pentucket 70, Arlington Catholic 52
AC (52): Michael Maher 6 0-1 14, Louis Doherty 3 3-6 9, Peter Kelly 1 1-2 3, Nicholas Carvello 1 0-0 3, Edwin Woods 6 0-0 16, Matt Wesoloski 3 1-3 7, Totals 20 5-12 52
Pentucket (70): Patrick Beaton 7 2-2 18, Ryan Beaton 1 0-0 3, Brendan Sullivan 1 0-0 3, Jeff Porter 4 4-4 13, Will Sullivan 5 0-0 10, Pat Freiermuth 6 7-11 23, Totals 24 13-17 70
3-pointers: AC — Maher 2, Carvello, Woods 4; P — P. Beaton 2, R. Beaton, B. Sullivan, Porter, Freiermuth 4
Pentucket (17-5):     16 9 17 28 — 70
Arlington Catholic (17-6):     15 8 10 19 — 52