PEABODY — Behind Cecilia Kay’s 26 points and 13 rebounds, No. 3 Bishop Fenwick advanced to the next round of the Division III state tournament with a 50-30 victory against No. 30 Quabbin Regional.
It was in the third quarter when the Crusaders put the game to bed. Fenwick’s defense was most impressive, conceding just two points throughout the frame. Fenwick outscored Quabbin 14-2 in the third quarter and took a 43-15 lead into the fourth.
“Our defense has been great the last two weeks with getting deflections and steals,” Fenwick head coach Adam DeBaggis said. “Players like Celia Neilson have turned into monsters on defense.”
That’s not all. Neilson showed her unselfishness as well, finishing with a game-high nine assists.
The Crusaders’ height and athleticism give them an advantage most nights. DeBaggis said having two six-footers, Kay (6-2) and Caitlin Boyle (6-1), is “huge.”
“They’re athletes, too. They’re not just trees, they can really play the game,” DeBaggis said. “They combined for 39 of our 50 points.”
Not only did Kay and Boyle score, but they both posted double-doubles with Boyle grabbing 10 rebounds, including five on the offensive glass.
The game started with both teams fighting hard on the defensive end. But once the Crusaders found their offensive rhythm, they controlled the rest of the action.
DeBaggis acknowledged that his team (lately) has been struggling to score the ball in the second and fourth quarters. He admitted “we need to do a better job coaching” in that aspect of the game.
“We were kind of stagnant and couldn’t really score in the second quarter,” DeBaggis said. “It was still a good overall win, though.”
And for a cherry on top, Fenwick held the Panthers to 21.9 percent shooting.
Fenwick will host the winner of No. 14 Watertown and No. 19 Oakmont Regional with the time and date to be announced.
