Commonwealth Classic: Pinkerton advances behind Martin's 22 points

Tuesday, December, 23 By Christopher Smith

By Christopher Smith  csmith@eagletribune.com  — Posted: Monday, December 22, 2014 2:00 am

NORTH ANDOVER — Pinkerton 5-10 senior forward Val Martin scored consistently throughout all four quarters Sunday against rival Salem on her way to a game-high 22 points.

But a big seven-point fourth quarter from junior forward Sara McLennan and five points from Melissa Martel during the final period helped Pinkerton turn a single-digit lead into a convincing 56-42 victory in the Hyde Division semifinals of the Commonwealth Motors Christmas Classic at Merrimack College.

McLennan, a three-year varsity player but first-year starter, finished with nine points. She played her best when it mattered the most.

"She works really hard, she's very strong and she hustles on the rebounds," Martin said about McLennan. "She's very good with the second shot. Like if you have a girl who takes a 3, she'll always be there to get the second chance (off a miss). That's where she gets a lot of her points because she hustles under the basket."

Martin talked about the importance of her team taking smarter shots during the fourth quarter.

"We work very well when we pass the ball quickly around the outside," Martin said. "Just take the smart shot. Don't force anything."

McLennan added: "We were just trying to keep it calm because they're a little fiery group there. So we were trying to keep our game calm. I did kind of save it to the end but I was just kind of off in the beginning. It happens."

McLennan also discussed Martin's all-around effort. Martin did a fine job driving to the hoop and taking the outside shot.

"She's really strong on the boards and on her shots," McLennan said. "She's a good team player and passes it off when necessary."

A 10-2 run to begin the second half allowed Salem right back in the game.

Junior guard Allie Sirmaian led the Blue Devils with a team-high 14 points.

"She's very tough and she obviously works hard at what she does," Martin said about Sirmaian. "She's a very tough defender. They had her on me a lot so she works hard."

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