Bishop Feehan Girls' Basketball Team Wins Holiday Classic

When two good teams match-up it is the in-game adjustments that determine who comes out on top.

Sometimes, even Bishop Feehan needs a Plan B.

After a dominating run to start the game, Shamrock coach Mike Deady saw his team starting to fade and pulled back on his trademark full-court pressure.

The switch allowed his team to have the legs in the fourth quarter to make a charge and pull away just when it seemed as though they had allowed the Rocketeers to get back into it.

The result was a 74-61 victory for Feehan and the 2011 Attleboro Holiday Classic title.

"They were getting a lot of easy shots against the press and we wanted to dig in," said Deady. "I think they got a little tired. in the end, we're pleased but we need to tighten a lot of things up."

Lexi Sells was typically outstanding with 20 points on her way to the tournament MVP award, but she received a lot of help from junior guard Sierra Schrader, who led all scorers with 22 points. Schrader consistently sliced through the Rocketeers' post defense.

Deady was full of praise for Schrader. 

"She had a whale of a game," he said. "I don't know what her line was but she had a wonderful game."

The Feehan press dominated the first quarter as they forced turnovers on each of North's first five possessions and ran out to a 19-9 lead. North chipped away using their strength inside. The Rocketeers dominated the boards and had multiple chances each time down the court.

Despite being faceguarded for the entire game, North Attleboro senior Jill Cullen scored 16 to lead the team and she was helped by captain Meg McHugh's 15 points.

North head coach John Del Bonis was proud of his team's effort to get back in the game.

"I thought we battled," he said. "We're not really a defensive team, we outscore teams. We didn't shoot the ball as well as we usually do. They got a good team, lots of good players and they wore us down."

The Shamrocks controlled the fourth quarter thanks in part to eight-points in the period from freshman Maddie Jolin (11 overall). Marrissa Cicchetti got the assignment of keeping the ball out of Cullen's hands and still managed the offense and scored 11 point of her own. North's Meg Ronaghan came off the bench to get 14 for the Rocketeers (nine in the second quarter comeback.)

In the consolation game, the Attleboro High Bombardiers came up short against the Taunton Tigers, 54-42. Attleboro got as close as five in the fourth quarter but Taunton's Erica McGreevey knocked down two daggers from beyond the arc and the comeback fell short.

Sells took home the MVP trophy and was joined on the all-tourney team by her teammate Sierra Schrader, North Attleboro's Cullen and McHugh, Attleboro's Kirsten Terrien and Taunton's Taylah Pelote.