For AC squad, a time to cherish

The unforgettable moment, in the words of Kelsey Roberson, was "stomach-flipping."

She was describing the feeling of standing on the famed parquet at TD Banknorth Garden, the national anthem blaring over the sound system, while the Arlington Catholic senior was preparing for the most important game of her high school career.

"It was just so exciting, looking at the stands where everyone was sitting and where we used to hang over the sides to get high fives [from the players]," said Roberson.

"When they were singing the national anthem, I looked up and saw my face on the JumboTron and my entire stomach flipped. I was still shaking when the ball went up . . . I'll never forget that night."

On Monday night, Roberson and her teammates became the first Arlington Catholic girls' basketball squad to appear on the Garden floor, where their stellar run came to an end with a 46-38 loss to Notre Dame Academy of Hingham in the EMass Division 3 final.

A 5-foot-6 guard from Arlington, Roberson scored nine straight points to cut Notre Dame's lead to 3 points with 2 minutes remaining. But the Cougars couldn't overcome the defensive pressure they faced the whole game.

"We were stuck; we just couldn't get anything going," said junior Cara Paladino. "We couldn't get an offense going and into a groove. To be at the Garden was so crazy though. I never would've imagined we'd get the chance to play there, so I have no regrets."

No regrets on a journey that was quite impressive.

"We had to get through Westford in the [D-2] semis, then we faced Reading, who knocked us out last year," said head coach Dave Brady , who guided the team to a 23-3 record. "Those two teams are always in the mix and we knew that we'd be seeing them in the later rounds. After the game, I thanked the girls for getting this far. It was a great ride and I'm thankful."

Three other juniors from Arlington, Paladino, Lindsey Roche, and Teresa Busiek, joined the Bentley-bound Roberson in the starting lineup, along with senior guard Meredith Soper, a 1,000-point scorer from Winthrop.

"I've been playing with them since we were in fifth grade and there's no other group I would've wanted to take that court with," said Paladino. "My sister [Jill] will be a freshman next year and I can only hope she gets to experience something like this."

While Paladino waits for her sister to join her at AC next season, Roberson played her final season with younger sister, Emma, on the roster.

"This was so special, getting to do this with the girls I've been playing with for so long," said Roberson. "It's awesome and it was an unforgettable game. Even though we lost, there were so many little things that I'll cherish. It was the best way to end my high school career. I couldn't have asked for more."

The Woburn High boys absorbed a heart-breaking loss in the EMass Division 2 final on Tuesday night, falling 70-69 when Milton High freshman Rene Castro scored the go-ahead basket with 10 seconds left.

"If you have to lose, I guess you want it to be a close one," said senior captain Mark Roffi. "I mean, you don't want to get blown out. You want to feel like you gave it every single ounce you could and when it comes down to 1 point, that means you did."

Senior captain Hanell Velez capped off a stellar four-year career with a game-high 33 points, 16 coming in the first half to give Woburn a 33-28 halftime lead.

The Southern New Hampshire-bound Velez averaged about 20 points per game as a senior, was the co-MVP of the Middlesex League, and finished with more than 1,000 career points.

For Roffi, who was sidelined mid-season with mononucleosis, returning to the court in time for the playoffs was the perfect ending.

"I'm just glad I got to be a part of this," said the 6-foot guard. "It wouldn't have been the same if I'd been on the bench cheering my teammates on. Of course losing isn't the way we wanted to end things, but we got this far, so we've got to be glad for that."

Central Catholic rode a dominant performance by Katie Zenevitch (31 points, 21 rebounds) to a 75-45 win over Brockton in the EMass Division 1 final.

Two years ago, Central beat Needham in the state semis, but lost in the final to Hampshire Regional.

"I remember that feeling of being so close and then coming up short," said Zenevitch. "I think this time we're more prepared, we have more experience and we know what it's like to play on that stage."

Sapna Pathak can be reached at sportsgalsp@gmail.com.