Marblehead Girls' Travel Basketball Team Falls In Championship Game

Submitted by Scott Bostley:

The Mareblehead girls’ sixth grade travel basketball team just concluded a very successful season but fell in the championship game. After finishing 10-4 in the regular season, the girls entered the playoffs as the #3 seed in a double-elimination format.

They opened up against an athletic, physical Swampscott team and defeated them for the third time in three games this season. All of the girls stepped up to shut down Swampscott’s biggest scoring threat and held her to just a couple of baskets.  They then squared off against the second of Newburyport’s two talented teams.  Although Marblehead defeated them in the regular season, the girls were playing lethargically and lost by five points going to the loser’s bracket.

They then played their second game of the day against Hamilton-Wenham on Saturday night. Even down three players due to the play, the girls came together and won handily. They pushed the ball and made timely passes leading to easy baskets to easily defeat the Generals.

After the two Saturday games, the team played Sunday morning against Timberlane, N.H. The teams split their regular season games in two hotly contested games. The third game proved to be no different. It was a back-and-forth affair and Marblehead took control with a five-point lead going into the last two minutes.  Timberlane then hit a three-point basket to bring the game to within two points.  Several other three-point attempts fell short and Marblehead’s superior ball-handling skills helped keep the ball out of Timberlane’s hands in the final 30 seconds to preserve a two-point win.

Marblehead had to re-group for its second game of the day on Sunday and play a re-match against the Newburyport team that defeated them the day before. Marblehead took control early with defensive intensity and by getting to every loose ball. The girls continued strong team play and good passing resulted in a hard-fought five-point win - sending the team to the championship game.

Playing their fifth game in three days, the Marblehead girls brought every ounce of energy that they had left up to Plaistow, N.H., to play the Newburyport Clippers’ top team for the championship on Monday night.

Having lost twice to Newburyport rather handily during the regular season, the team really showed their mettle.  Marblehead put Newburyport on their heels early by scoring a few quick baskets and holding a two-point halftime lead. The game went back-and-forth the whole way, with Newburyport getting a few quick transition baskets to take a two-point lead late in the game.

Part-time coach Parker Livermore made note from the stands, “Newburyport has the equivalent of their “Big 3,” a trio of very talented players. Although Marblehead was containing them well, they got  into foul trouble and  coupled with an injury it proved to be difficult from a match-up standpoint. The team's size really proved to be the difference.” The seven-point loss was a lot closer as they got a few baskets at the very end.

As legendary youth CYO basketball coach Pat Bibbo once said: “It wasn’t so much that they outscored us and we lost the game, the clock just hit 0:00 before we could catch up.”

“These girls have nothing to be ashamed of. To take the top team in the league down to the last minute of the championship game showed what these girls are all about," Coach Dave Dumais pointed out, adding, "There wasn’t a harder working group of basketball players on the entire North Shore all season and they did everything we asked of them.” 

The team, which grew together this year, was unselfish with the basketball all season.

“I looked at the score book after every game and we routinely had 8 and often times 9 girls scoring each game," said statistician Michael Joyce. "Most teams at this level rely on one or two key players, but this team was unselfish and looked to get everyone involved in every game. That shows real teamwork that isn’t common at this age.”

Most of the girls said that they can’t wait for next season!