Feehan beats Braintree at buzzer

SCHOOLS

Coming into last night’s nonleague girls basketball showdown at Braintree — the team that knocked him out in the quarterfinals of last year’s Division 1 South tournament — Bishop Feehan coach Michael Deady wasn’t sure what his team was really made of despite arriving with a 7-2 record. Deady knows now. Trailing the Wamps all night, Feehan rallied from seven points down with just over two minutes to play in regulation, before senior captain Nicole Smith sank a buzzer-beating jump shot to propel the Shamrocks to a thrilling 46-44 victory.

“That was a great basketball game,” said Deady. “The girls played their hearts out and we executed down the stretch. This team is finding its identity and that identity is the toughness we showed in this gym tonight against a tough competitor.”

Behind early scoring from juniors Adriana Timberlake (19 points) and Jeniyah Jones (13 points), the Wamps took a 23-22 halftime lead. And after Timberlake’s second 3-pointer of the third quarter, Braintree led 37-32 heading into the fourth.

Braintree (8-2) took its largest lead (44-37) on a Jenna Roche bucket with 2:10 remaining, but from that point on it was all Feehan.

A pull-up jumper by Anna Shaughnessy (17 points) made it 44-39 before a jumper from Smith and two free throws from Shaughnessy cut the deficit to 44-43 with 1:07 left. After both teams then missed an opportunity to add points, Braintree was at the free throw line with just under 10 seconds to play.

But the Wamps missed both free throws, Feehan grabbed the rebound and raced downcourt where Smith (13 points) took a pass from Sarah John and swished her shot as time expired.

In the Dual County League, Emily Bramanti scored 15 points for Westford Academy (9-2) in a 56-34 win over Cambridge.

In a Boston City League tilt, Fiona Mannion poured in 24 points and Jordan Bellot chipped in 13 as Latin Academy (6-5) cruised to a 76-44 win over Charlestown. . . . Francisca Barros-Depina finished with a game-high 20 points to go along with eight rebounds as Madison Park (4-7) defeated Boston English, 46-33.

Boys basketball

Dominic Jones exploded for 37 points, 10 rebounds and six assists to power Madison Park (5-7) to a 78-64 Boston City League win over Boston English . . . . Yanniel Balbuena netted 21 points to lift South Boston to a 59-56 win over CASH.

Boys hockey

Chris Ervin scored with 54 seconds to play and Chelmsford (3-8-2) pulled out a 2-2 tie with Andover in a MVC/ DCL 1 matchup.

Girls hockey

Eighth-grader Jess Pistorino notched the hat trick to power Fontbonne/Latin Academy (5-5-2) to a 6-1 nonleague win over Arlington Catholic.