RallyNorth.net

WORCESTER — This time, the Pentucket girls made absolutely sure that they would not be denied.

After falling short in the Division 3 state championship game in 2010, the Sachems came back yesterday in rousing fashion, overwhelming Sabis International of Springfield at the DCU Center, 55-32, to capture their first state basketball title.

Pentucket beat Fairhaven, 53-39, at the Garden to punch its ticket to the Division 3 state finals Saturday at the DCU Center in Worcester. The Sachems will play the winner of Wednesday's Sutton-Sabis game

Pentucket gave up only three field goals in the first half, storming to a 30-10 lead, on its way to a 49-30 victory over Ipswich and its fourth Division 3 North title in the last six years. 

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.

LAWRENCE — Pentucket 6-foot center Tess Nogueira has had some trouble finishing around the basket this winter, and she wasn’t the only one on the team.

“Coach Mac (John McNamara), coach Beaton, they are both out there with the pads slamming us when we are taking our layups (in practice) and we’ve had to run a lot after missed layups,” Nogueira said. “I think we’ve finally got it into our heads that we need to finish.”

LAWRENCE – As the only senior in the rotation on a squad decimated by late-season injuries, Alex Borrelli must carry a bigger share of the load than was expected.

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.

Coley Viselli canned six 3-pointers and totalled 22 points and Pentucket whipped Hamilton-Wenham 67-37.

After falling behind by five points on a clutch Chelsea Nason 3-pointer and two Danielle Davis free throws with 2:13 left, Pentucket scored 10 of the game's next 12 points to pull out a 57-54 win over Masconomet. Alex Moore (13 points) hit a driving layup and a huge 3 to give the Sachems the lead, and Coley Viselli (16 points) sank three free throws down the stretch to preserve the victory.

Sarah Higgins scored 14 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and made five steals to lead Pentucket to a 42-27 victory over Ipswich.