First family of basketball

WARREN -- There were the typical baby shower gifts -- blankets, diapers, and booties -- but it might have been the miniature basketball hoop fit for a crib that drew the biggest reaction from those gathered to celebrate the impending arrival of Lisa and Kevin O'Keefe's twin girls.

Neither the hoop nor the many other basketball-themed presents the couple received that day could be considered gag gifts. The well-wishers knew the items would be put to good use by a family with basketball in its blood.

''Back then, everyone kept telling us, 'Here comes the future of Quaboag basketball,' " said Lisa.

Who could argue with them? Both mom- and dad-to-be were standouts in the Class of 1979 at the regional school serving the communities of Warren and West Brookfield. Lisa, in fact, scored more than 1,000 points at both Quaboag and Assumption College.

Today, other numbers confirm what the shower attendees suspected the future held for twins Kelsey and Reilly. The sisters have revitalized the Quaboag basketball program by combining to score more than 3,500 points, win more than 100 games, and help the Cougars claim one state championship and Central Mass. Division 3 titles each of the past three seasons.

The 17-year-old O'Keefe sisters will now pen the final chapter in their storybook scholastic careers. When the postseason commences next week, every win will provide one more game together.

''I've been playing for six years, so sometimes it seemed like this would never end," said Kelsey, the elder sibling by a minute, who has been a part of the varsity squad since the seventh grade. She is the leading scorer in Central Mass. history, having recently surpassed Worcester's Michael Bradley (now playing for the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers). With 2,511 career points after scoring 29 in last night's 70-58 win over Springfield Cathedral, Kelsey currently ranks seventh in state history, regardless of gender, and figures to challenge for a spot in the top three with a strong tournament showing.

The basketball journey doesn't end here for the twins; new beginnings await in the fall when they head to rival colleges. Kelsey will attend Merrimack, while Reilly is headed to St. Anselm, both Division 2 schools competing in the Northeast-10 Conference.

They'll leave behind quite a legacy, as well as a younger sister, Meaghan. Currently a freshman on the varsity squad, the youngest member of the O'Keefe family is a raw talent hoping to emerge from a monstrous shadow.

While there are no records tracking such things, the O'Keefes believe they are the highest-scoring sibling tandem in state history; the previous leaders were believed to be the Danker sisters, Jillian (of Minnechaug) and Sheila (of Wilbraham), at 3,541 points. Reilly scored 9 last night and has 1,045, putting the twins at 3,556. Sprinkle in the 117 points scored by Meaghan this winter, and the O'Keefe girls have a combined 3,673.

But Quaboag coach Dick Gowen prefers to focus on other numbers, like the program's participation numbers at a school that has 670 students in Grades 7-12.

''Winning can breed winning, and these two girls have had a real impact in getting a lot of the younger girls in the area involved with youth and AAU basketball," said Gowen. ''You can see the resurgence in our program, and a lot of that can be traced to these two girls."

''Everybody wants to be Kelsey and Reilly," said junior point guard Rebecca Giguere, who has had the honor of assisting on all of the twins' milestone baskets (Kelsey even passed up an open layup before her 2,000th to get her favorite point guard involved).

Nestled between Worcester and Springfield, Warren is a rural town with a population of approximately 5,000 and cell phone service spottier than a Dalmatian. Fishing and hunting are the sports of choice for most locals, while the field hockey powerhouse built by coach John O'Neill remains top dog at the high school.

The O'Keefe family is slowly turning this into a basketball town.

First-time visitors to their home may expect to pull up to an orange house with black lines in the likeness of a basketball. Surely, at least, the house has an underground gymnasium where the twins hone their low-post moves late at night.

But that couldn't be further from reality. About the only indication of basketball at the red, two-story colonial that Lisa grew up in is the ''2004 State Champions" bumper stickers affixed to each vehicle in the driveway. The same driveway that doubles as a basketball court during the warmer months.

Inside, there is no trophy clutter. The only shrine is a shelf that houses four decorated basketballs commemorating the 1,000- and 2,000-point milestones of the O'Keefes.

''We've got some pictures of our team hanging up in our room, but we're not too big on the individual awards," said Reilly, before Kelsey can add, ''People always ask us about the points; we'd rather talk about the wins."

Or just about anything else. The twins describe themselves as ''typical girls" who like to shop and hang out with friends away from the hardwood.

They also just happen to have won a state title during an undefeated season two years ago, and their team has posted an 89-4 record since the start of the 2002-03 season.

The O'Keefe sisters may have revitalized the program, but it was their mother and aunts who originally took the program to uncharted heights starting in the late '70s.

Gowen arrived as coach in 1979, in time for Lisa's final season. Her three sisters followed, including the youngest, Monica, who scored 1,000 points of her own while guiding the team to a pair of state titles.

Monica McCarthy-Galamaga served as head coach at Quaboag when Gowen stepped down to follow his own children's athletic endeavors (he returned in 1999). McCarthy-Galamaga is now the coach at her other alma mater, St. Anselm, where she'll coach her niece Reilly in the fall.

Which leaves the basketball family conflicted. Kelsey and Reilly have never really been apart. They share the same room, the same clothes, and the same car. They've always been on the same team.

''For now, we're just worrying about getting to all these games between the three of them," joked Kevin.

That will include the first St. Anselm-Merrimack matchup next January. The sisters will be pitted against each other for the first time in competitive play, and no one is quite sure what to expect.

''They've always been 'Kelsey and Riley,' and for the first time they'll be on their own," said Giguere. ''I think their family is going to show up wearing half Merrimack and half St. Anselm apparel so they don't have to pick sides."

The O'Keefes expect to have 60-70 family members on hand that night. Quaboag athletic director Judd Hunt is going to make sure no high school games are scheduled that night, so everyone in town can go out and see the twins.

Once ''the future" of the program, it seems the twins will still have an impact on the Quaboag basketball team even when they are ''the past."