FAITH NEWTON had 47 points and 45 rebounds over a three-game winning streak against Hamilton-Wenham, Stoneham and Lynnfield. (File Photo)
By DAN NUNN
NORTH READING — On Jan. 11 the Hornets hosted Hamilton-Wenham and earned their first CAL victory of the season with a hard fought 40-35 win. A quick 9-0 run to open up the game set the tone and NRHS maintained a lead the entire night.
Junior Brianne Slattery (11 points, 5 assists, 3 steals) and senior captain Rose Morelli (11 points, 6 steals) paced North Reading with plenty of help from junior Faith Newton (9 points, 11 rebounds) and senior captain Riley Cullen (7 points, 7 rebounds).
Beat Stoneham 40-29
NRHS traveled to Stoneham for a non-league contest with the Spartans on Jan. 12. A back and forth first quarter saw the Hornets take a 14-11 lead.
North Reading turned the game on its head in the second with stifling defense. They outscored the Spartans 13-2 to go up 27-13 at halftime enroute to their 40-29 win.
Faith Newton led the way with a sensational stat line of 19 points, 16 rebounds and 3 assists. Brianne Slattery (11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists) and Rose Morelli (6 points, 2 rebounds) also had key offensive contributions. Sophomore Bella Cannalonga helped guide the offense with flawless ball handling against the Stoneham press.
Crush Lynnfield 47-28
Faith Newton dominated again with her second straight double double with 19 points and 18 rebounds to carry the Hornets to their convincing 47-28 win over rival Lynnfield on Friday.
Riley Cullen (12 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocked shots) and Rose Morelli (10 points, 2 assists) also made big contributions. Brianne Slattery (7 assists) and Bella Cannalonga (4 assists) did an outstanding job of breaking the Lynnfield press and distributing the basketball. Senior captain Kayla Imbriano (6 rebounds, 4 steals) paced the defensive effort.
The Hornets traveled to Beverly on Sunday. A recap will appear next week. They host Newburyport on Friday at 6:30 p.m.
