Webster points Feehan to final
Medfield, Norwell advance, too
As Julia Webster and her Bishop Feehan teammates skipped off the court Monday night, one Shamrock turned to another and asked if she knew that Webster dropped 30. The other teammate giddily responded, “34!”
Webster, who was literally carrying a teammate on her back after figuratively carrying the Shamrocks all night, simply grinned.
The points kept coming, and Webster never cooled down, tying the program record with those 34 on 11-of-13 shooting in a convincing 61-38 triumph over Woburn in a Division 1 girls’ basketball state semifinal at UMass Boston.
“I’m so proud of her,” Feehan coach Amy Dolores said of the senior forward. “I’m impressed, but not at all surprised. She’s had this in her. To do it on a big stage is just really special for her.”
The No. 1 Shamrocks (20-4) are headed back to the state final for the second straight season, one win away from adding a second state title to the one they won in 2016.
Bishop Feehan gracefully withstood an inevitable surge from the plucky and persistent No. 4 Tanners (19-5), continuing to stay aggressive even as the lead ballooned.
Webster feasted inside throughout the first half, erupting for 21 points and burning the Tanners from all over. Five of those buckets came off assists from Charlotte Adams-Lopez (8 points, 9 assists), who waited for the perfect moment and consistently hit Webster in stride.
The Shamrocks will face the winner of No. 2 Wachusett and No. 3 Springfield Central this weekend at the Tsongas Center in Lowell.
Division 2 State
Medfield 60, Oliver Ames 46 — Whether it was a Naya Annigeri steal, a Tess Baacke drive, or an Izzy Kittredge 3-ball, the youngsters on the top-seeded Warriors appeared in total control against the No. 5 Tigers in a state semifinal at Taunton High.
“We’ve lost in the Final 4, but getting to the state championship is just a dream come true,” Kittredge said. “We’re so motivated and so ready to win.”
Medfield (22-2) entered as one of four teams to make the state semifinals in all three years of the statewide girls’ basketball tournament, but had not yet advanced further. The program seeks its first state championship since 2017 under the old sectional format.
The Warriors jumped out to a 9-1 lead early, but OA (17-7) responded quickly and the first half turned into a battle of frenetic pace.
Sarah Hilliard (15 points) carried the early scoring load for the Tigers with 9 first-half points, but couldn’t keep up with the relentless Medfield attack. The underclass trio of sophomores Baacke (13 points) and Kittredge (21 points), plus the freshman Annigeri (10 points), caught fire and pushed the Warriors to a 29-17 halftime advantage. Annigeri’s one-on-one chasedown block on a fast break drew perhaps the loudest roar from Medfield’s student section.
Medfield will play the winner of No. 6 Worcester South and No. 7 Northampton in the Division 2 final at the Tsongas Center.
Division 3 State
Norwell 52, Medway 39 — The second-seeded Clippers kept the No. 3 Mustangs at arm’s length and staved off a surge in the third quarter to secure victory at Taunton High — earning a trip to their first state final since 1989.
“This is honestly a crazy feeling. This is what we’ve dreamed of since I was in middle school,” junior Maddie Oliver said. “Everybody wants to experience this in their high school experience, and obviously Norwell’s never done this before, so it’s honestly just surreal.”
Reagan Dowd (14 points) picked up where she left off for Norwell (23-1). After torching Sandwich from beyond the arc in the quarterfinals, the junior captain canned the team’s opening bucket and made four of six 3-point attempts to help build a 30-21 halftime lead.
Norwell also controlled the glass early, led by efforts from Oliver and Paige Maguire. Oliver (team-high 16 points) took the brunt of a physical Medway defense, including tall sophomore forward Anna Freeman (9 points).
Norwell opened its season with a stumble in a home defeat to Sandwich. The Clippers have not lost since. Their 23 consecutive wins are tied with Wachusett for the longest active streak in the state.
Division 5 State
West Boylston 58, Palmer 57 (OT) — Eighth-grader Hannah Kursonis banked in a jumper in the final seconds to propel the second-seeded Lions (21-3) past the No. 6 Panthers (15-9) in overtime in a state semifinal at Worcester State.
After senior Madison Pitro (13 points) missed a runner, the rebound got tipped out to Kursonis, who pulled up from the foul line and connected on her only made field goal of the game. She finished with three points, while senior Sammie Mullins led the Lions with 18.
Sophomore Charlotte Theriault scored a game-high 28 points to lead Palmer.