RallyNorth.net

Masconomet girls basketball coach Bob Romeo wasn't expecting to hold Ipswich junior forward Amber Smith scoreless for long stretches during any point in last night's game.

So you can imagine his surprise when the Chieftains held the entire Ipswich team at zero for the first 11 minutes and cruised to a 58-41 win at home.

After hearing the question, Masconomet girls basketball coach Bob Romeo rocked back in his chair and took a deep breath.

The body language told the story of a man putting deep thought into the query. The answer that followed proved the thought was actually focused on finding a way to be polite. In your opinion, are Masco's Caroline Stewart and Ipswich's Amber Smith the two most dominant players on the North Shore?

The host Vikings were no match for the powerful Chieftains (5-1, 2-0), arguably the best girls team on the North Shore and one of the top Cape Ann League squads. Masconomet senior center Caroline Stewart (who's headed to Boston University to play basketball) had a game-high 19 points. Rockport (1-4) got strong performances from sophomore guard Rebeccah Tibert (11 points including three 3-pointers) and junior forward and captain Emily Hurst (6 points).

Caroline Stewart knew she would score her 1,000th career point this season. She just didn't want to know when it was coming.

Masconomet's senior forward was blindsided by the milestone last week when she converted a free throw in the second half of a victory over Hamilton-Wenham. Stewart was so focused on her opponent that she became confused when the game was stopped for a brief ceremony.

The score will be forgotten before the Masconomet girls basketball team plays another game. But Bob Romeo anticipates the lesson will stick around well into March.

Forced to play most of the second half and all of overtime without stars Caroline Stewart and Jamie White, the Chieftains gave Division 3 power Cardinal Spellman all it could handle in a 56-52 loss at home.

North Andover couldn't keep pace in the second quarter and fell to Masconomet 47-31. The Knights trailed 9-8 after the first frame but could only manage three more points before halftime and fell behind 23-11.

Last year's record: 20-3 (lost to Lincoln-Sudbury, 49-46, in Division 2 North semifinals)

Coach: Bob Romeo (6th season)

Key returnees: Caroline Stewart, Sr. F; Annie Burns, Sr. G; Jamie White, Jr. G.; Meredith DeAngelis, Sr. F.
Key departures: Kristin D'Avolio, Katie DiBenedetto, Olivia Kendall.