BOSTON — When asked about Bishop Fenwick standout Celia Neilson, coach Adam DeBaggis may have also summed up the top-ranked Crusaders’ 55-38 win against No. 4 Medway inside Emmanuel College’s Jean Yawkey Center.
“She’s just deciding that we’re not losing, and you need players like that if you want to win a state championship,” said DeBaggis after Tuesday’s Division 3 semifinal showdown.
Neilson (22 points) netted eight fourth-quarter points. She also grabbed eight rebounds and swiped 11 steals as Fenwick punched its ticket to the state championship game against No. 2 Pittsfield (TBD).
“Only slightly over her average, which is crazy,” DeBaggis said of Neilson’s 11 steals. “She would be an unbelievable safety in football and also a good quarterback.”
After taking a 38-32 lead into the final quarter, Fenwick’s defense buckled down and allowed just six points across the final eight minutes.
Caitlin Boyle (15 points) blocked two shots and Neilson took a pair of charges down the stretch.
“She’s (Boyle) got the calm, cool demeanor and Celia has the gladiator demeanor, so it’s a good match,” DeBaggis said. “It (defense) was great. And I’m the coach, so I feel like we could’ve done a bit better actually. They’re just tenacious and they’ve been all season.”
With dueling student sections and fouls being called left and right, the Crusaders led 19-7 after the opening quarter.
Brittney Figulski (3 points) scored four seconds into the game and Reese Spurchise (7 points) scored a layup that led to Medway’s first timeout.
“We were actually playing our best when we were running just our read-and-react offense,” DeBaggis said, “which is amazing.”
Medway outscored Fenwick 16-9 during the second quarter and made it a one-possession game twice during the third. Turnovers — mostly forced passes — plagued the Crusaders.
But in the end, Fenwick slowed Medway’s final push and punched its title game ticket. DeBaggis said, “You can win games playing with heart — that’s what we did today.”
And he knows what to expect from his team’s final opponent (Pittsfield).
“Super athletic and really tough.”
