Lady Gaels continue to make strides

CLINTON - With one win to its credit, the Clinton High School girls basketball team has shown marked improvement over previous seasons, according to coach Derek Moisan.

On Tuesday, in the semifinals of the Spartan Christmas tournament, the Lady Gaels dropped a 67-44 decision to Oakmont Regional in a Wachusett League C Division contest.

Clinton and Oakmont exchanged baskets in the first two quarters, with the Lady Gaels outscoring the Spartans 11-10 in the second frame. Oakmont was up 31-25 at intermission.

In the second half, the Spartans pulled away to win the game.

The Lady Gaels were led by senior Alexis Leahy, who scored a team-high 16 points. Also in double figures for Clinton was freshman Neleesha Meunier with 14 markers.

Last Thursday, in a highly contested game, Clinton lost 56-42 to Ayer-Shirley in a non-divisional match-up. The Lady Gaels notched their first victory of the season last Tuesday, when they crushed Murdock 48-18 in another non-divisional game.

"We are getting there, and there has been progression over the last couple of weeks," Moisan said. "I think we have gotten better this year and will be in more competitive games.

"We have a skilled freshman and a transfer student, and they will definitely help us," he said. "I thought we were pretty competitive last year and were close in several games, but I think we are even better than we were last year."

In the Ayer-Shirley game, Meunier poured in a game-high 17 points, while Leahy and sophomore Alyssa Hatch netted 10 and nine, respectively.

Natalie Carroll scored a team-high 14 points for the Panthers. Also in double figures for Ayer-Shirley were Hailie Young and Will Schiffman with 12 markers each.

Trailing 8-2 early in the first quarter, Clinton closed the gap with a 6-3 burst. After Medjine Seguy dished off to Meunier in the paint for an easy layup, Leahy was fouled on a drive. She went to the line and made two free throws.

Meunier finished the spurt by hitting a turn-around jumper.

The Panthers held a 15-8 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Down 21-12 at the four-minute mark of the second quarter, the Lady Gaels' offense kicked into high gear, reeling off an 8-3 run to get to within four points, 24-20.

After Leahy hit two free throws, Seguy put in an offensive rebound. The spurt ended on a jumper by Seguy and a put-back by Meunier.

Key free throws by Leahy, Meunier and Hatch brought Clinton to within two points, 27-25, at the half.

The Lady Gaels' offense didn't cool off at the half, as Clinton opened the third frame with a 9-3 run.

Junior Meaghan Onnembo found Meunier open near the basket for a lay-in to get the run started. After a successful baseline drive by Hatch, Seguy put in an offensive rebound.

Seguy ended the spurt by driving the paint for a lay-in, while drawing a foul. She made the free throw.

The Lady Gaels were ahead 34-30, with 4:48 left in the third quarter.

Unfortunately for Clinton, Ayer-Shirley answered with a 10-2 spurt to take a 40-36 lead after three quarters.

The Panthers outscored the Lady Gaels 16-6 in the fourth frame to win the game.

"It was a close game, but we just ran out of gas (in the fourth quarter)," Moisan said. "We ran into some foul trouble too. We had good spurts, but just couldn't seem to get a rhythm.

"We battled, and I saw some good, positive things out there tonight," he said.

Junior varsity

The Clinton JV team was edged 35-32 by the Ayer-Shirley JVs. Alexis Blaisdell scored a team-high nine points, while Ireland Dylewicz and Riley Michaud netted eight and seven, respectively.

The JV Lady Gaels defeated the Murdock JVs 42-27. Dylewicz led all scorers with 12 points, while Regan Gannon and Alysia Leger contributed six each.

Team overview

Clinton finished last season with a 3-17 overall record and a 1-9 league mark. In addition to Clinton and Oakmont, the other teams in the league are Lunenburg, Littleton, Tyngsboro and Gardner.

The Lady Gaels' captains are seniors Taryn Wetherbee and Leahy, and Onnembo, a junior. Wetherbee is a forward, while Leahy and Onnembo are both guards.

"Taryn (Wetherbee) has been on the team since her freshman year," said Moisan, who is in his third year at the helm. "She has a great basketball I.Q., and I think she will be a coach some day. She knows what to do and she has a nice outside shot. We can count on her for some valuable minutes.

"We are lucky that Alexis (Leahy) transferred from Burncoat (High School)," he said. "She has demonstrated everything worthy of being a captain. She brings a lot to the team and will really help us.

"Meaghan (Onnembo) has been starting for us since her freshman year," Moisan continued. "She has shown steady progress and has definitely improved."

The squad's other seniors are Seguy and Jasmine Nerette. Seguy is a forward/center, while Nerette is a guard/forward.

"She (Seguy) is a four-year starter," Moisan said. "She knows what to do and is a good rebounder. We expect her to score points underneath.

"Jasmine (Nerette) is another four-year player," he said. "She is a versatile player, who can play guard and be on the wing, too. She knows how to get position and is one of our better rebounders. She can get the put-back, a defensive rebound and start the outlet (pass)."

The team's other juniors are Molly Irish, Jaelynn Gour and Alexa Rodriguez. Irish is a forward/center, while Gour and Rodriguez are forwards.

"Molly (Irish) is up from the JVs (junior varsity), and she has earned it," Moisan said. "She brings a lot of energy and spirit to the team. She has a decent shot and works hard at her game.

"She (Gour) can spark us on defense, when she gets in there," he said. "Alexa (Rodriguez) has some good basketball skills and she will get some minutes."

The team's sophomores are Hatch and Elba Patel. Hatch is a guard and Patel is a forward.

"Alyssa (Hatch) is a starter," Moisan said. "She is another one with an excellent basketball I.Q. She can handle the ball and drive to the basket. She can shoot and is good at getting an opponent to turn the ball over.

"Elba (Patel) made the varsity last year as a freshman," he said. "She was awesome for us in the off-season. She can shoot and is a tough rebounder."

Meunier, one of the Lady Gaels' top players this season, Luz Mendez, Alexis Blaisdell and Arianis Rodriguez are the freshmen on the team. Meunier is the center, while Mendez, Blaisdell and Rodriguez are guards.

"She (Meunier) is clearly a starter for us," Moisan said. "She has the basketball skills to be a center and she knows exactly where to be on the court. She knows how to put the ball up inside. She is strong near the basket.

"Some of the freshmen are swing players and will be seeing time on both the JVs and varsity," he said.

Lady Gaels notebook

* The varsity assistant coach is Caitlin McGrail, while John Smith is the JV coach. Janet Carey coaches the middle school girls team.

* During halftime of the Ayer-Shirley game, the Billy Winn Basketball Association was well represented, with a game between the Clovers and the Running Rebels.

* A rousing rendition of the national anthem was performed by Clinton Middle School fourth-grader Paige Johnston prior to the Ayer-Shirley game.