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The week ahead

A look at the week ahead in girls basketball ...

GAMES OF THE WEEK:
Needham @ Braintree -- Tuesday, 6:45 p.m.
No. 5 Braintree defeated a dangerous Brockton team Monday night, 70-59, for the second time this year. The Wamps have been brilliant this season, running away with a strong Bay State Carey division. With a two-game lead in the standings, Braintree can all but lock up the title Tuesday with a win over Needham.

Key matchup: Stephanie Geehan (Braintree) vs. Cerie Mosgrove (Needham)
Mosgrove is averaging a Bay State-best 22.1 points per game this season for the Rockets. She had a mammoth week, with 24 points and 13 rebounds in a win over Natick and 29 points and 9 rebounds in a win over Weymouth.

Lowell @ Andover -- Sunday, 1:30 p.m.
Super Bowl kickoff isn't until 6 p.m. Get out of the house earlier in the day and go see Lowell-Andover II. In the Jan. 6 meeting, Andover sophomore Meghan Thomann connected on 9 of 12 three pointers en route to Andover’s 54-44 win.

Lowell's Courtney Schermerhorn became the third Lowell High School girls basketball player to score 1,000 career points, tossing in 19 Friday night to spark the Red Raiders to a 56-31 MVC crossover win against host Dracut.

My picks: Braintree, 58-47; Andover, 62-61 (OT)

MILESTONES:
Shae Fitzpatrick, Lynnfield — The Brown-bound senior eclipsed 1,500 career points last week. In two games against first place Ipswich, Fitzpatrick netted a combined 48 points and grabbed 23 rebounds. One of the state’s strongest free-throw shooters, she converted 19 of 21 attempts. Fitzpatrick is the top scorer in the program’s history (boys or girls).

Courtney Schermerhorn, Lowell — see above.

Brittany Engle, Oliver Ames — Engle also joined the 1,000 career point club. A senior, she accomplished the feat Thursday with 18 points in a 52-42 win over North Attleboro.

Hailee Lowe, Hamilton-Wenham — She scored her 1,000th career point as H-W defeated Manchester-Essex, 55-24.