Gonsalves Sets Mark For Coyle-Cassidy Girls Basketball

Norton resident Brenna Gonsalves became the all-time leading scorer in Coyle-Cassidy High girls' basketball history with a 14-point performance during the Warriors' dominant 56-24 victory over Old Rochester in a non-league game on Tuesday night at Coyle-Cassidy High.

Gonsalves is just the second 1,000-point scorer in the history of the girls' program and the fourth overall at the school. She entered Tuesday night needing just eight points to eclipse the girls' mark of 1,148 points held by former Warrior standout Emily Larocque.

The senior captain broke the record in the first half, helping Coyle take a commanding 31-14 advantage at the break. And the beauty of the achievement coming on Tuesday night is that it came in front of the home fans at Coyle-Cassidy.

The game was stopped when Gonsalves broke the record in the first half with Warrior head coach Mike O'Brien presenting the Norton resident with the game ball. Coyle then outscored Old Rochester 25-10 in the second half for the final margin of victory.

With her 14 points on Tuesday night, Gonsalves now has 1,154 for her career. She is just 243 points behind the all-time leading scorer at the school, Eric Ferris, who totaled 1,397 points during a terrific career with the Warriors.

Gonsalves also had eight rebounds during the win over the Bulldogs on Tuesday. She recently announced that she will be attending Adelphi University in Garden City, N.Y. on Long Island next year on a basketball scholarship.

Standing at 2-0, Coyle will not play again until Tuesday, December 28 when the team will welcome Cardinal Spellman in for a non-league game at 6:30 p.m.

Gonsalves and fellow town resident and senior captain Kelsey Dermody helped the Warriors open the season with a 53-41 non-league win in Abington.

Coyle-Cassidy has played terrific defense this winter and it began with the game against the Green Wave. After holding just a two-point advantage at the half, 28-26, the Warriors outscored the hosts 25-15 in the second half for the 12-point win.

Gonsalves collected 15 points and nine rebounds for Coyle, while Dermody played a terrific point guard for the team.

Junior Courtney Preston, who is also from Norton, has been an important contributor off the bench for the Warriors during the first two games this winter.