Wakefield Girls Fall In North Title Game

LOWELL -- There are two 3-point arcs painted on the Tsongas Center floor and if there was a third, Angelina Yacubacci would have still been behind it Saturday. The Pentucket sophomore started the fourth quarter with a dagger from deep to lead the Sachems past Wakefield, 48-33, in the Division 2 North girls' basketball title game.

Pentucket (23-2) heads to the TD Garden Tuesday for the sixth time and the first since 2013 to face the winner of the South final. For Wakefield, a great season came to an end a little too soon.

"It took us a while to settle in," said Wakefield coach Jason Pavey. "Pentucket had a nice end to the second quarter where they knocked down some huge threes. We made some halftime adjustments but we dug ourselves too big of a hole against a really good team and that's just not going to get it done."

Against Wakefield, it was once again Yacubacci, the sharp-shooting daughter of an Irish mom and an Italian dad, who came off the bench and sparked the Sachems. Wakefield struggled in the first half but in the third quarter the Warriors outscored Pentucket, 13-7, and was behind just 33-25 heading into the final eight minutes.

If Wakefield (18-6) had any thoughts about a fourth-quarter comeback, Yacubacci stopped them with her long three to make it 36-25. Pentucket would score the first five points of the quarter and when Wakefield took more than four minutes to score its first points, the familiar MIAA trophy was headed to West Newbury. Yacubacci, who scored nine in the semifinal win over Melrose, led Pentucket with 15 points, including three 3-pointers.

Wakefield's only lead was 4-2 on two baskets by senior Allee Purcell. Purcell scored another basket in the opening quarter but she was the only Warrior to make the score sheet and Pentucket was up, 13-6, after one. It was more of the same in the second, another 13-6 Pentucket quarter, leaving Wakefield staring at a 26-12 halftime deficit. In the second quarter, Pentucket made three 3-pointers while Wakefield had just two baskets.

The third quarter was dominated by Wakefield with Hannah Dziadyk getting untracked with four points after scoring just one in the first half. Wakefield out scored Pentucket, 13-7, in the quarter, scoring more points in the one quarter than the entire first half and cutting the deficit to eight. But Yacubacci, combined with a swarming defense, made sure the Sachems went home happy.

Wakefield was led by Purcell's 11 points. Hannah Dziadyk, who had 22 points in the semifinal win, was held to 5 points.

"We haven't been here, in this game, in over 20 years. They have an awful lot to be proud of," said Pavey. "I'm super proud of those guys. Definitely disappointed in the loss, but I'm 100 percent not disappointed in them, if that makes sense. It's been a hard year for a lot of these kids. For them to battle like this, and focus, and put up with me. I wish there was a better ending but I'm just really proud of how they fought."