HAVERHILL — It simply wasn’t Swampscott’s night.
The No. 4 Swampscott girls basketball team ran into a relentless No. 1 Pentucket defense and fell, 52-28, in the semifinal round of the Division 2 North state tournament Tuesday at Whittier Tech.
The Big Blue were haunted by early turnovers, falling behind by 10 in the first quarter and never being able to climb back into things.
“It wasn’t anything we didn’t expect,” Swampscott coach Katelyn Leonard said of Pentucket’s defense. “They just executed very well and they’re very disciplined. Even if you know something is coming it’s one thing to know it and another to stop it. We just ran into that tonight.
“You have to kind of play perfect against this team,” Leonard added. “With our shots not falling it made it difficult to set up anything for a comeback. It’s a very good defense. They’re a very well-rounded team. I wish them luck and I think they’re going to go far.”
Grace DiGrande led the Big Blue with 11 points while Nikki Rosa (five points, six rebounds) and Ella Sprague (four points, seven rebounds) made key plays. Despite the loss, Leonard was happy with the Big Blue’s effort, something they have brought to the court every game this season.
“The effort has been there all season,” Leonard said. “It’s been such a fun group to coach this year. They’re just super fun and loose, but when they step between the lines their effort is unbelievable. I don’t have a bad thing to say about this team. I’m so proud of them.”
Both teams started the night with solid defense, leading to a 2-2 tie midway through the first quarter. Angelina Yacubacci (game-high 15 points) got the Sachems started, converting an and-one to help swing some momentum. In the final minutes of the first several turnovers doomed Swampscott’s offense and Pentucket’s MacKenzie Currie (10 points) scored six points off the bench to push the Sachems lead to 15-5.
Grace DiGrande scored an early basket in the second to get the Big Blue started but Yacubacci responded with a 3-pointer to put Pentucket up by 11. From there both teams kept pace with the Sachems maintaining a sizable lead.
Rosa added four late points to narrow the Sachems lead to eight, but Currie hit two free throws on Pentucket’s final possession to give the Sachems a 26-16 lead at the half.
Katie Watts hit an early 3-pointer in the first half to get Swampscott on the board, but the Big Blue once again struggled on offense from there. Yacubacci and Madeline Doyle each hit a 3-pointer to push the Sachem lead to 15 points.
Pentucket’s Angelica Hurley extended the lead even further in the fourth quarter. The junior added seven points in the first few minutes to stretch the Sachems lead to a game-high at 50-25 and erase any hope of a late Swampscott rally.
With Swampscott’s season coming to an end at 16-6, Leonard is proud of what the Big Blue were able to accomplish behind the leadership of seniors Grace DiGrande, Watts and Rosa.
“I can’t be prouder,” Leonard said. “I just think it’s been such a fun season but at the end of the day they work really hard. To get to this point in the tournament, I don’t think we have been here in about seven or eight years. Hats off to our seniors because they really willed us to get here. I love them.”