RallyNorth.net

IPSWICH | At one moment there was an incredulous celebration, a mob scene on the floor of the Ipswich High basketball gym.

Moments later, the devastation of finding out that the Tigers had suffered a horrible loss to Watertown, 52-51, in a Division 3 North first round playoff game that will live through the ages in this Cape Ann community.

The Ipswich girls basketball team picked up a huge win yesterday afternoon and Amber Smith broke the school's all-time scoring record in the process. Quite simply, it was a great night for the Tigers.

Masconomet girls basketball coach Bob Romeo wasn't expecting to hold Ipswich junior forward Amber Smith scoreless for long stretches during any point in last night's game.

So you can imagine his surprise when the Chieftains held the entire Ipswich team at zero for the first 11 minutes and cruised to a 58-41 win at home.

After hearing the question, Masconomet girls basketball coach Bob Romeo rocked back in his chair and took a deep breath.

The body language told the story of a man putting deep thought into the query. The answer that followed proved the thought was actually focused on finding a way to be polite. In your opinion, are Masco's Caroline Stewart and Ipswich's Amber Smith the two most dominant players on the North Shore?

Excuse me while I brush up on my math skills here for a moment.

It doesn't take Will Hunting to come up with an equation that proves Ipswich junior Amber Smith, who just surpassed 1,000 points in the Ipswich Holiday Tournament, could reach 2,000 career points before she's done. So, here goes ...

IPSWICH | Ipswich High forward Amber Smith was eight points shy of 1,000 for her career heading into last night's game against Triton, but a personal milestone was hardly her priority.

"We've never won our own (Christmas) tourney," explained Smith. "There were more important things than (scoring 1,000)."

Ipswich junior Amber Smith has a reputation for coming up big in big games. Her trip to North Andover last night was no different.

The Tigers' talented junior hit 9-of-16 floor shots in a 21 point effort that carried the undefeated visitors (4-0) to a 45-31 girls' basketball victory over North Andover.

Last year's record: 14-8 (lost to Swampscott, 76-63, in Division 3 North quarterfinals)

Coach: Mandy Zegarowski (5th season)

Key returnees: Amber Smith, Jr. F; Audrey Shaughnessy, Jr. C; Tess Falabella, Sr. F; Stephanie Sutherby, So. G; Lyndsay French, Sr. G.