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Ipswich led after a 5-0 early third-quarter run, but it was all Pentucket after that in a 46-26 win in the Division 3 North semifinals.

Kelsi McNamara had 15 points and Coley Viselli 13 in the win.

WEST NEWBURY — Pentucket girls basketball sent a loud and clear message to the state basketball world as it kicked off its quest for a second straight Division 3 state title.

The Sachems are ready to defend.

Breaking open a one-point game with tremendous fourth-quarter defense along with clutch scoring from tourney MVP Kelsi McNamara (21 points) and Alex Moore, Pentucket held off host Central Catholic to win the IAABO Board 130 Classic title, 59-49. With her 11-point effort, Coley Viselli registered her 1,000th career point for the Sachems (20-1). Twin-towers Casey McLaughlin (22 points) and Amanda Williams (12 points) led the Raiders (16-5).

LAWRENCE — There were two good things that Pentucket sophomore McKenna Kilian showed yesterday afternoon in the opening round of the IAABO Tournament at Central Catholic.

Another Pentucket-Masconomet girls basketball games, another war. The Sachems countered a tough shooting night with an effective effort at the free throw line, converting on 22 of 34 to edge Masco in OT, 44-43. Coley Viselli hit two foul shots with 12 seconds left to send the game to overtime and Tess Nogueira (20 points) drilled a pair from the charity stripe in the extra session to lock up the victory.

Notre Dame of Hingham may have had enough to beat defending Division 1 state champion Andover nine days ago, but it wasn't the case against reigning Division 3 champ Pentucket yesterday. Led by 12 points from McKenna Kilian, the Sachems downed Notre Dame 54-36 to remain perfect on the season (13-0).

WEST NEWBURY — Usually, as senior Coley Viselli and the Pentucket girls basketball team showed last night in front of a packed house of over 600 fans, the cream eventually rises to the top.

Alex Moore scored 22 points to help Pentucket stay perfect with a 52-42 win over Hamilton-Wenham. The Sachems improved to 8-0.

Pentucket's girls basketball team used its defense to remain unbeaten and defeat a good team uin the process, whipping previously unbeatens Billerica, which had been ranked in the top five in Eastern Mass. by a 59-39 margin. Kelsi McNamara led three players in double figures with 15 points and the Sachems (6-0) drilled eight 3-pointers, but the key was the defense, which held UMass Lowell-bound point guard Brittany Lomanno scorelessin the second half. 

The Pentucket girls basketball team erupted in the opening minutes, taking a 19-3 lead, and went on to defeat host York, Maine 57-30 to win the York Holiday Tournament. All-tournament players Coley Viselli and Kelsi McNamara led the unbeaten Sachems (5-0) with 15 and 14 points respectively and spearheaded a stifling press that hurt York.