Beaulieu, Big Blue swamp Archbishop Williams
Senior guard Allie Beaulieu still has vivid memories of her first trip to the TD Banknorth Garden floor as a freshman.
"We lost to Cardinal Spellman in double overtime," she said with a wince. "But this year, I want a state title."
Beaulieu may get her wish after the Swampscott girls' basketball team crushed Archbishop Williams, 67-51, yesterday at the Garden to earn its first Division 3 Eastern Mass. title.
With 6-foot-4-inch star center Val Driscoll, the Bishops had a clear size advantage. But Swampscott countered with speed and a pressure defense to contain Driscoll and take control of the game early.
"We knew about [Driscoll]," said senior forward Tara Nimkar. "She's much bigger than any of us, so we had to take that into consideration. And I think we [had] a good game plan. We had a lot of help defense, and boxing out, and rebounding, so she couldn't get those second shots."
Swampscott built a 33-26 halftime lead but expended a lot of energy with its pressing style of play.
"In the beginning, they did some good things," Swampscott coach Jack Hughes said. "I think we were a little tired. But in the second half, they were like, 'Coach, we're going to have to keep pressing them, keep pressing them,' and I think it finally took its toll."
Despite fatigue, Swampscott (22-2) had an explosive third quarter, with Beaulieu (team-high 23 points), Kara Gilberg (22), and Nimkar (17) scoring all but 2 of the Big Blue's 21 third-quarter points.
Driscoll (11 points in the game) and freshman guard Michaela Flanagan (11) sparked Archbishop Williams (15-12) in the fourth quarter, but the Swampscott lead was too big to overcome.
"They're great competitors," Hughes said of his team. "And it was like they got a second wind in the second half."
Hughes said he spent hours drawing up new defenses heading into the matchup - none of which he used. He decided to stick with the Big Blue's gritty style of play that has worked all season.
"We're a very good outside-shooting team, but [we] don't just settle," Hughes said. "And Tara is just so explosive going to the basket . . . she plays with that little bit of nastiness that you like . . . but she is just so confident and so athletic and strong."
Nimkar said yesterday's victory erased some old memories for her, too.
"It was a different experience, because I didn't start, I didn't play that much," Nimkar said of the loss to Cardinal Spellman. "I did get on the court but this is a totally different feeling, because you're out there and you're just working as hard as you can, and you're a senior, so you've got everything to lose. You don't want it to be your last game, especially at the Garden."
That loss three years ago provided plenty of motivation for Swampscott.
"I didn't actually know we were up 20 [points] in the second half," Nimkar said. "I just kept thinking, 'Next play, next play.' "
