RallyNorth.net

Feeling blue: Swampscott topples Pentucket in D-3 North final

Saturday, March, 07 By Alan Siegel
Staff writer

BOSTON – Pentucket senior Kirsten Daamen couldn’t help but shed a few tears.

Second-seeded Swampscott had just defeated the top-seeded Sachems 61-46 in yesterday’s Division 3 North final. Her high school career ended here at Emmanuel College’s Yawkey Center, not at TD Banknorth Garden, where her team played in the state semifinals in both 2006-07 and 2007-08.

But in the end, the Central Connecticut State-bound center can hold her head high. After all, before she and her current teammates arrived, the Pentucket girls basketball program was in the doldrums.

“Today’s going to sting, but when they look back, they’ll have a lot of great memories,” coach John McNamara said. “They put Pentucket basketball on the map.”

Daamen, along with senior Andi Attenasio (11 points) and juniors Ashley Viselli (11 points), Erin McNamara and Holly Jakobsons, helped the Sachems compile a 65-8 record over the past three seasons. Daamen, who scored a team-high 15 points but left the game in the fourth quarter after an errant pass hit her square in the nose, was her typically strong self in the low post.

“She turned the program around,” McNamara said. “She’s definitely the best player ever to come out of Pentucket. Boys or girls.”

While disappointed, Attenasio managed a smile.

“It’s been quite exciting over the past three years,” she said. “We’ve grown together as a team. It was a phenomenal experience.”

McNamara was proud of his club’s effort, but it wasn’t quite enough down the stretch. The Big Blue (21-2) shot lights out from long range, knocking down nine 3-pointers. Allie Beaulieu (20 points) and Tara Nimkar (18 points) were deadly from the perimeter.

Pentucket, on the other hand, didn’t hit a single trey.

“It was ugly,” said McNamara, whose team struggled on offense during its 38-27 win over St. Mary’s in the semifinals. “We knew what we had to do. We shot awful the other night too.”

Pentucket (21-3) never led after scoring the first basket of the game.

“It felt like it snowballed for us,” McNamara said.

The Sachems fell behind by as much as 16 (35-19) at the six-minute mark in the third quarter, but roared back in the fourth. They sliced the lead to seven points with 5:30 remaining, but couldn’t inch any closer.

McNamara made no excuses afterward. He also credited the Big Blue, who defeated Pentucket 46-43 during the Haverhill Christmas Tournament.

“They beat us,” McNamara said. “They took it to us in all facets of the game.”

Attenasio’s assessment was similar, if not a bit more succinct.

“They made their shots,” she said. “We didn’t.”