Fenway rolls back into BCL title game

Replacing a legendary coach and producing similar results is never an easy ask for anyone, regardless of the situation.

However, after taking over for John Rice, Caitlin Fenn Cordaro has excelled as Fenway’s newest girls basketball manager. With a little assistance from Kayana Angelina Armbrister, the Panthers now find themselves in a familiar position. The junior dropped 26 points Friday, while adding nine rebounds as Fenway punched its ticket to the Boston City League championship for the fourth season in a row with a convincing 50-37 victory over New Mission at the Dearborn School in Roxbury.

“They’re used to winning,” Cordaro said. “They’re used to being here. We have three girls that were starters last year. Hopefully they’re ready for (the title game). I guess it’s business as usual, but at the same time, every year feels very important, and there’s pressure.”

The Panthers (11-1) used a suffocating defensive attack in the first quarter, while dominating the paint to jump out to an early 15-2 lead. Armbrister tallied eight points in the stanza alone, finishing it by beating the buzzer with a layup to set the tone for the night.

Even when New Mission began to find a rhythm in the second quarter, Fenway would find a way to answer. After Jada Flores knocked down a trio of 3-pointers to cut it to a 10-point deficit for the Titans, Omariah Ashley took over in the final minutes of the half. The senior would draw a foul at the horn, then sink a free throw as Fenway took a 23-13 lead into the intermission.

With only seconds remaining in the third quarter, Armbrister made her toughest play of the night, as she pulled up from long range. The junior was immediately fouled, and crashed to the floor. When she glanced back up, the shot fell, sending the Fenway bench into a frenzy. Armbrister then converted the free throw to make it a 4122 game, and the Panthers would roll to the finish.

“It felt good,” Armbrister chuckled after the game. “They attacked me, but that felt good.”

Ashley finished with 10 points and nine boards in the effort to propel Fenway.

Flores registered a teamhigh 12 points for New Mission.

In this unique season, Fenway has faced plenty of divisional competition. However, the Panthers will get their first look at undefeated O’Bryant on Saturday, as the two programs battle it out for the City League title.

“We’re ready for that,” Armbrister said. “We’re ready for that game. We’re already talking about it.”