DANVERS — Courtesy of an outstanding showing on defense, Bishop Fenwick is headed back to the Division 3 girls basketball Final Four.
Top-seeded Fenwick (18-5) did not allow a point in the final 11 minutes of the game, wearing down Pentucket in a 39-23 quarterfinals victory at St. John’s Prep.
“That was a team effort on defense,” said senior Caitlin Boyle (4 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists). “We brought the intensity.”
Pentucket (18-6) nearly played spoiler. Coached by John McNamara, who recently celebrated win No. 400, the eighth-seeded Panthers kept the game within reach for the first 24 minutes. It was a four-point lead for Fenwick after one (16-12), which the Crusaders then extended to six at the half (22-16).
Pentucket saved its best basketball for the third quarter, cutting the deficit to five (28-23) and fully believing that there was a chance to steal the win.
“We were exactly where we wanted,” said McNamara. “We were limiting an explosive team, but we couldn’t score in the fourth. Give Fenwick credit. They showed why they are the top team in the state.”
The fourth quarter belonged to Fenwick senior Celia Neilson. She scored seven of her game-high 17 in the final frame, adding eight rebounds and five assists to a stellar all-around performance. Neilson was part of the Fenwick team that lost in the state finals during her freshman season, and she is practically willing her team to return to the championship.
“We got to the state title freshman year, then we were banned the next year,” said Neilson, referring to a controversial school-wide ban from the state playoffs during the 2023-24 season. “Now it feels like a full-circle moment. We’re only one win away from getting back.”
Fenwick suffered the infraction due to athlete eligibility violations from the baseball program. That had absolutely nothing to do with girls basketball, yet that ban from the MIAA wiped away a potential state title for the program. But Fenwick coach Adam DeBaggis and his crew didn’t cry foul, instead, they kept working.
Two years later, Fenwick is one game away from playing for the state championship.
“This program has been through a lot, so this is very meaningful for our seniors and our entire team,” said DeBaggis. “And our effort on defense was the difference. You can’t always control the ball going in, but we can control our defense. I’m very proud of the whole team.”
Fenwick moves onto play fourth-seeded Medway for the right to play in the state title. With the weight of the playoffs squarely on their shoulders, it was refreshing for the Crusaders to receive a spark of energy from freshman Taisha Castillo, who was a menace on both sides of the floor.
“I kept thinking about this moment,” said Castillo (6 points, 3 steals), who missed the last month of the season with a concussion. “The wait was killing me. I love playing with my teammates. We’re really in our element when we’re they out together, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.”
