THE SENIOR CAPTAINS left it all on the court during NR’s Div. 3 state tournament run which ended in the Sweet 16 on Tuesday in Sandwich. Pictured from left to right is Caitlin Reilly, Maggie Schulz and Bella Cannalonga. (Eric Evans Photo)
SANDWICH — The No. 23 NRHS girls’ basketball team traveled 156 miles to No. 10 Pittsfield on Friday In the MIAA Div. 3 state tournament and advanced to the Round of 16 with a big, 60-47 win.
North Reading got off to a slow start with some early-game nerves affecting both teams as North Reading committed 11 turnovers in the opening quarter yet managed to take an 11-9 lead after eight minutes.
Both teams settled down in the second quarter with back-and-forth action seeing the Hornets take a 24-23 lead into halftime. In the first half, senior captain Caitlin Reilly put the team on her back with 15 of the team’s 24 points including 4 3-pointers.
The third quarter was dominated by North Reading, 20-5, opening up a 16-point lead after three quarters. That lead ballooned to as many as 21 in the fourth quarter as the Hornets stayed hot the entire second half, connecting on 14 of 23 attempts in the half, including 5-for-9 on 3’s.
Reilly rode a hot hand all night draining 8 3-pointers on her way to a career-high 29 points for the game. She also added 3 assists and 3 steals in a complete-game effort. Balanced support was provided by senior captain Maggie Schulz (9 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals), sophomore Allie Lanciani (6 points, 3 rebounds, 5 steals), freshman Ariana Demetri (5 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals), senior captain Bella Cannalonga (4 points, 6 assists, 3 steals) and sophomore Makenzie Murphy (2 points, 2 rebounds).
THE NRHS girls’ basketball team had plenty of support during the state tournament, which included long trips to Pittsfield and Sandwich (pictured). (Eric Evans Photo)
On Tuesday, March 5, North Reading traveled to No. 7 Sandwich. A slow start had the Hornets trailing 19-10 after one period but a hot shooting second quarter (5 3-pointers) had North Reading heading into halftime with a 29-26 lead.
The halftime advantage was short-lived as Sandwich came out in the third quarter and pounded the ball into their 6’2” center as she scored 21 points in the quarter, helping Sandwich open a 55-33 lead after three. The final score was a misleading 73-46 as the Hornets were much more competitive than the final would indicate. Demetri lead the way with 18 points including 5 3-pointers. Schulz, Cannalonga and Reilly each added 6 points. Freshman Sophie Gallivan had 4 points and 6 rebounds. Sophomore Kiersten Higgins (4 points) was exceptional defending their very talented point guard.
“Throughout the season we handled teams that were much bigger than us by playing a physical style of defense to neutralize the size differential. Unfortunately, the three man officiating crew in the Sandwich game did not allow us the same latitude we enjoyed during the season and in the Pittsfield game,” said head coach Bob Romeo. “Tonight, they called the game very tight leading to immediate foul trouble. That aside, we lost to a big, athletic, talented and well-coached Sandwich team.”
“This loss does not diminish the overall accomplishments of this team. They started the season at 1-3 and worked hard to turn things around finishing with 16 wins, the second best record in the CAL and a win in the state tournament. We had contributions throughout the season from our full roster.
“I could not be any prouder of our three senior captains, Bella Cannalonga, Caitlin Reilly and Maggie Schulz. These three student athletes did a great job of leading our team and have been significant contributors over their high school career.
“They leave behind a winning legacy and have demonstrated that size is not nearly as important as your willingness to leave it all on the court and compete. They will truly be missed.”
