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Clutch free throws lift PMA to semifinals

Saturday, February, 27 By Jeff Hamrick

LOWELL — All Presentation of Mary Academy needed was the right girls shooting free throws at the right time.

After missing seven of their first 11 attempts from the line, the Panthers got four consecutive from sophomore Ashley Ventolieri and another from Danielle Silva during the final 68 seconds last night as PMA held off fourth-seeded Lowell Catholic for a 46-42 victory in the Division 4 quarterfinals. The fourth-seeded Panthers, the highest remaining seed in the tournament, will play No. 16 Manchester-Essex at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Malden.

But it looked grim for the Panthers (17-5) when leading-scorer Kate St. Peter fouled out with 3:15 remaining and PMA holding a one-point lead. A nice pass from Ventolieri to a cutting Meg McDonough provided a 41-38 advantage with 2:06 remaining, but the Crusaders (16-6) once again cut their deficit to one 40 seconds later. Ventolieri, however, calmly sank both ends of a one-and-one, providing all the points the Panthers would need.

“You just have to stay under control — stay calm,” said Ventolieri, who scored all six of her points the final 4 1/2 minutes. “We practice them all the time in practice, so it should become second nature by this point. Coach insists we get those in. If you don’t make over 50 percent then the whole team has to run suicides.”

After watching Lowell again climb within one, Silva, who had three assists in the crucial final period made the front end of a one-and-one with 19.2 seconds remaining and Ventolieri converted another pair with 7.5 seconds left for the final margin.

“We probably shoot a minimum of 40 free throws each every practice — game-type free throws,” said first-year PMA coach Joe DeBlois. “I tell them ‘No laughing, no joking. I don’t care if it takes you a half hour. Every free throw act like you’re in a game.’ It definitely paid off tonight.”

With St. Peter in foul trouble most of the game, the Panthers scored only 2 points during a span of 8:10 beginning midway through the second as Lowell took a 7-point lead. But the return of St. Peter, who finished with 10 points, helped PMA on a 11-0 run before finishing the third trailing 32-31.

“Going into halftime, I was upset,” DeBlois said. “But at the same point I was thinking ... to be up by two at that point, it was a great situation considering all the obstacles. Katie is the person that calms everybody down,” DeBlois said. “Even if she’s not scoring, they feel confident when she’s in there.”

Meg McDonough, who had a game-high 17 points, gave the Panthers the lead for good with back-to-back 3-pointers early in the fourth.

“We just said we had to keep it tight,” McDonough said. “Without (St. Peter) it’s difficult, but she’s not the whole team ... (DeBlois) said to have confidence with my shot and to never think twice about it.”