The Chelsea High girls basketball team cruised to a pair of victories in its last two outings, defeating Lynn Tech 64-20 and Mt. Alvernia 38-24.
Neither contest was in doubt after the first period. The Lady Red Devils zoomed past Tech and continued to build their lead until the final buzzer, while against Mt. Alvernia, Chelsea maintained a 10 point advantage throughout the second half.
Madeleine Vielman was the principal offensive producer in both contests. Madeleine scored 14 points against Tech, including a pair of three pointers, as she turned in what CHS head coach Matt LaBranche termed “an awesome game.” She popped in 12 points against Mt. Alvernia, sinking five of six from the free throw line, including a pair of technical foul shots that were awarded to Chelsea for bad behavior by the Mt. Alvernia coach.
The win over Mt. Alvernia avenged a one point loss by the Lady Red Devils the previous week. Although LaBranche felt his team played a “sloppy game” this time around with too many turnovers and poor free throw shooting, “Our team defense truly was phenomenal and was the key to our victory,” said the coach.
Lindsay Fuentes turned in a superb effort against Tech, hitting for a nice double/double with 12 points and 15 rebounds. Tatiana Fontes and Carolyn Moni also made nice contributions with nine points apiece. Shuly Sejour chipped in five points and pulled down 16 boards. Joanna Ventura added three points and Bahyia Nasuuna and Jennifer Medrano hit for two each.
In the Mt. Alvernia triumph, Sejour scored six points; Fontes contributed five; Medrano and Barbara Carron added four each; and Fuentes hit for two.
LaBranche and his crew, who improved to 5-2 with the twin wins, had set their sights for what loomed as the biggest game of the season Tuesday when the Lady Red Devils were to host Presentation of Mary. Chelsea defeated PMA by one point in their first meeting. Another Chelsea victory over PMA would place the Lady Red Devils in the driver’s seat in the race for the championship of the Small School Division of the Commonwealth Athletic Conference.
However, the 4:45 tip off in the CHS gym never took place because a bomb scare closed down the school.
Chelsea will play at Mystic Valley Friday and then host Fellowship of Christian Academy Tuesday at 3:45.
Red Devils get back on track, win three straight
The Chelsea High boys basketball team cast aside a perennial Commonwealth Athletic Conference rival and avenged a pair of early-season losses and to win three straight games and get back over .500 to 5-4 on the season.
“We’re really beginning to jell,” said CHS head coach Jay Siegal. “We had a lot of new players at the varsity level and it’s taken some time for everyone to come together.”
The Red Devils began their streak, which halted a three game losing skein, with a commanding 66-36 win over Lynn Tech last Friday. The contest never was in doubt, as the Red Devils led at all of the junctures and built their lead continuously throughout the contest.
After Chelsea grabbed an 11-2 advantage to start the game, Tech appeared to be creeping back into it, closing the margin to 16-10. However, CHS head coach Jay Siegal called a timeout, regrouped his charges, and Chelsea zoomed off from there, building a 20 point lead at the half.
Sean Quiroz led Chelsea in the scoring department with 25 points and Sammy Mojica hit for 12. Siegal was able to use all of his players, starting midway through the third period.
“We played well,” said Siegal of his team’s performance against Tech, a perennial power in the Commonwealth Athletic Conference that is having an off year.
Siegal and his crew then hosted Whittier this past Friday in a big game which was a rematch of their battle two weeks ago that saw Whittier win in overtime after tying the contest in regulation with a hoop at the buzzer.
The first half was much the same as their first encounter, with both teams playing up and down basketball and Chelsea clinging to a three point lead at the intermission. However, the second half was a different story, as the Red Devils took command and never let Whittier climb back into the fray.
Chelsea moved out to a 46-34 advantage after three frames and maintained a steady 10 point lead the rest of the way en route to a 62-50 triumph.
Sammy Mojica showed why he will get many votes as the CAC’s MVP, pouring in 30 points. Sean Quiroz reached double figures with 12, while Eddie Rosales (nine points), Kevin DeJesus (six), and Eddie Irizarry (six) also made valuable contributions.
Chelsea followed that victory with another revenge theme, this time at Greater Lowell, which also had defeated the Devils in overtime in their initial tilt.
However, any resemblance between that game and Tuesday night’s Red Devil demolition of GL was purely coincidental, as Chelsea rolled to a runaway 76-52 triumph. The Red and Black took charge at the outset, grabbing an 11-4 lead at the first buzzer and expanding it to 38-22 at the half. The third quarter saw Chelsea continue to expand its lead, refusing to allow GL to have even a glimmer of a hope of a comeback.
Mojica with 23 points and Quiroz with 20 were the big guns for Chelsea, with Rosales also reaching double figures with 15. Adonys Baez and DeJesus chipped in six points apiece. Alexis Ventura and Carlos Vasquez hit for four points each and Dennis Sanabria and Irizarry added two points each.
“We’re playing really good basketball right now,” concluded Siegal. “Our defense especially has been very tight and was a big key to both wins because we create a lot of opportunities at the other end when we force the other team into turnovers.”
Siegal and his crew have a busy stretch ahead, starting tonight (Thursday) at home against archrival Revere. Mystic Valley visits tomorrow evening. Chelsea travels to Revere for a return match Monday and then to Peabody on Tuesday.