WOBURN — Whenever you get the St. Mary’s and Bishop Fenwick girls basketball teams together, you’re in for an incredible game.
Such was the case again Tuesday evening at Woburn Memorial High School, as the No. 2 Spartans hung on late to knock off the No. 6 Crusaders by a score of 63-62 in a Division 3 tournament semifinal game.
Fenwick had a chance to tie the game with less than 10 seconds to play, but Olivia Found’s deep 3-pointer spun all the way around the rim before bouncing out.
“It’s exactly what you expect when you go up against a team like that,” said St. Mary’s coach Jeff Newhall. “They’re a tough team to guard and they play until the very last whistle on every single play. To lose Yirsy (Queliz) with two minutes left and then hang on the way we did, this was a great win.”
Niya Morgen led the offensive attack for the Spartans with 23 points, while Queliz — who fouled out with 1:52 to play in the game — was close behind with 21 points. Kellyn Preira added 10 points and nine rebounds, while AJ Hyacinthe (four points, seven rebounds) and Bella Owumi (five points, three rebounds) also played well in the victory.
Found scored 19 points to lead the way for Fenwick, while Ella Andrew added 12 points and six rebounds. Cecilia Kay put up a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds, while Maria Orfanos notched six points.
“We’ve played them three times this year, and every time we’ve game-planned against letting them get on those patented runs they go on,” said Fenwick coach Adam DeBaggis. “It was basically a one-point game the whole way outside of a quick lapse in the third quarter, but that’s all it takes.”
It was a back-and-forth game from the very start, and that never changed. There were three ties and four lead changes in the first quarter before the Spartans took a 14-12 lead into the break, then the two sides battled through three ties and eight lead changes in the second. By the time halftime rolled around, St. Mary’s held a slim 31-27 lead.
After more back and forth in the third quarter, the Spartans were able to take a two-point lead into the final frame. St. Mary’s stretched the lead out to seven points midway through the quarter, but Fenwick went on a run down the stretch to make it a one-point game again. After Queliz fouled out with 1:52 to play, the primary ball-handling duties then fell on Morgen.
“Niya was handling the ball and had AJ — who only started playing consistently a few weeks ago — and a 13-year-old (Owumi) as her primary passing options,” said Newhall. “She showed a lot of poise coming down the stretch there, especially by hitting those free throws.”
Morgen came through with flying colors, keeping possession and hitting a pair of clutch free throws down the stretch to help the Spartans keep the lead. After Found’s missed 3-pointer with less than five seconds to play, Arnold grabbed the rebound and put it back to make it a 63-62 game. But it was too late, as the buzzer sounded and St. Mary’s was able to walk away with the win.
Fenwick finishes the season at 20-7.
“It’s obviously a tough way to end the season, and unfortunately this is an all-too-familiar feeling for us,” said DeBaggis. “But it was a great year, a great battle and I’m proud of how we played. I think both programs make each other better and it’s always great to go up against those guys. Now we just need to get a win from them.”
St. Mary’s (24-3) will now play in the Division 3 state title game Friday evening (5) against No. 3 Rockland at the Tsongas Center.
“I could stand here and say that we’ve been there before and we’ll be ready, but that’s not the case,” said Newhall. “The state title game is always a different feeling, and we’re excited to be able to defend our title (from 2020) this weekend.”
