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Pentucket Sachems Girls Basketball '07-'08

Tue, Dec 11, 2007 05:00 PM @ Amesbury
Team Final
Pentucket 57
Amesbury 19

Pentucket begins bid for state title

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Newburyport: Pentucket's Andrea Attenasio tries to break through many Amesbury hands as she drives to the net during their 57-19 win at the Nock Middle School last night. Photo by Katie McMahon/Newburyport Daily News Tuesday, December 11, 2007 » Katie McMahon, Staff PhotographerMore photos

Tuesday, December, 11 By Dan Guttenplan
Sports editor

WEST NEWBURY | There will be no repeat of a Cinderella season for the Pentucket girls basketball team.

The Sachems won't slip under anybody's radar this season.

That's because the team that won the school's first Cape Ann League title and made a state tournament run to the TD Banknorth Garden last season returned the bulk of its core group — including All-CAL standouts Ashley Viselli and Kirsten Daamen, who are now sophomores.

Pentucket flexed its collective muscle last night in its opener, beating Amesbury, 57-19. Daamen set the tone in the post, tallying eight points and 12 blocks. Erin McNamara led all scorers with 13 points. Holly Jakobsons added 11. Andre Attenasio had 10.

Katie Hathaway led Amesbury with eight points. The Sachems appear to have made themselves comfortable in their new role as a CAL powerhouse.

"That's going to be the challenge," Sachems coach John McNamara said. "We've never been in this position before. Last year, we were the Cinderella story. We snuck up on teams. Our girls understand this year will be different."

The Sachems dominated play from the opening tip, limiting Amesbury to eight points in the first 16 minutes. Amesbury made just four shots from the field on the evening.

"From the opening tip, our five starters came out with incredible defensive intensity," McNamara said. "It was totally unselfish play. We were looking to pass rather than shoot, and we seemed more focused on limiting shots than making them."

The Sachems went undefeated in CAL play last season with their lone regular-season loss coming to non-league opponent Haverhill.

"Everyone's saying, 'You guys are going to win all your games again,'" Viselli said. "It's nerve-wracking with all of the expectations. But we'll work twice as hard to stay on top. We want to make it as far as last year and win that last game to play in the (EMass. Division 3) final."

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