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Jaxson Nadeau and the Fenwick Crusaders will clash against Amesbury, the top seed, in the Division 3 North final.
By ANNE MARIE TOBIN
The Bishop Fenwick girls basketball team’s march toward another state title continues tomorrow at Wakefield where the Crusaders will play top-seeded Amesbury for what they hope will be another Division 3 North title.
Much as was the case in the Crusader’s opening round game against Saugus, the game pits Fenwick’s pedigree against Amesbury’s inexperience. The game will also be an opportunity for the Indians to even the score, having been routed by Fenwick in last year’s quarterfinals, 69-32.
“They are a well-balanced team very similar to us, but they have some players who can get to the hoop, a good post player and some girls who can shoot,” Fenwick head coach Adam DeBaggis said. “But all we have focused on is doing our thing as opposed to thinking too much about them.”
The Crusaders have a wealth of playoff experience, having played for a north title the last three years. They also made it to the semi-finals when the current seniors were freshmen, losing in a rout to CCL rival St. Mary’s.
With 13 tournament games, including three appearances in the north championship game, the Crusaders have been there, and done that.
Amesbury, on the other hand, comes into the game as an upstart. The Indians stand at 20-1 and are riding a 12 game win streak. Their only loss was to Pentucket, way back on Jan. 20, in a 40-37 game.
Over the last four years, the Indians have been to the playoffs in each of the last two years under second-year coach Matt Willis, who inherited a sub-500 squad but turned things around last season.
The Indians are led by their point guard, Maddie Napoli, two-time Cape Ann League Baker Division Player of the Year. Other threats include CAL First Team all-stars, guards Meaghan Reid and Abigail Sartori, and all-star center Flannery O’Connor.
Napoli, along with Sartori and Julia Montague, is a triple-triple threat. Sartori, was the difference maker in the Indians’ first round 48-34 win over North Reading. She broke the game wide open in the second half, knocking down three straights threes, and also hit three key treys in the Indians’ come-from-behind win semifinal win over St. Mary’s.
O’Connor, a sophomore, is a force down low, can drive and brings height to the table, while Napoli’s sister, Allison, a freshman, is also a double-double threat.
Another key player is senior Mikayla Porcaro, who played a key role last year for the Crusaders before transferring to Amesbury.
The Crusaders are led by captain Sam Mancinelli. Mancinelli earned CCL First Team all-star honors this season and is Fenwick’s field general. Only 5’2”, she is the leading scorer on the team with an average of 12.6 points per game and is the team’s best 3-point shooter. She also is second on the team in rebounding (6.2 rpg), behind junior Jennie Meagher, who averages a team-best 8.6 rebounds and also leads the team in blocked shots. In two tournament games, Mancinelli has averaged 14 points per game.
“She is everything you want in a player and person from a coach’s view, as close to perfect as you can get,” De Baggis said. “I could tell her she is the greatest player ever and she would still be humble.”
Sophomore Jaxson Nadeau, also a CCL First Team all-star, is averaging 11.8 points ppg and leads the team in steals (3.2 spg). She is averaging a team-high 16 ppg in the tournament.
Other key players for Fenwick include Fredi DiGuglielmo, Sammi Gallant and Sam Gulla.
Fenwick has a new-found depth and is getting key contributions from several bench players who have stepped up.
Courtney Norton, who while playing in only 12 games this season, has been a force in the tournament, is averaging eight points per game.
“Courtney can score, she has a good touch and had a huge game against Saugus,” DeBaggis said. “She hit two threes in the blink of an eye when we were struggling to score, and has played her way to significant minutes. She has become a real spark for this team coming off the bench, like Fredi did for us last year.
“Camille Tache’ is a tough kid who stepped in as a starter midway through the season with Sam Gulla when we needed more leadership, and Liv DiPietro, Elizabeth Pica and Mary O’Brien give us depth at rebounding. Sammi Gallant is a good shooter and is a budding leader as only a sophomore.
“Both teams are different from last year, and it will all come down to who steps up.”
Tomorrow’s tipoff is set for 4 p.m.