Unbeaten In ’26, Belmont High Girls’ Hoops Prepare To Avenge Early Losses By Clipping Red Hawks

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Photo: Belmont High’s Sarah Geller scored her career high with 20 points in Belmont’s win over Melrose, 53-42, on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026.

With her most prominent athlete, senior co-captain Sophia McClendon, on the bench due to an injury, Belmont High’s varsity girls basketball head coach, Antonia Macklin would need to rely on a whole lot of underclass players against visiting Melrose at Wenner Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Jan. 28.

And the youngsters came through as Belmont continued its undefeated run in 2026 with a dominant 53-42 victory over the Red Hawks, as the Marauders clinched a post-season berth in the MIAA Division 1 playoffs.

Belmont will require the same aggressive approach on both sides of the court as they next take on the two teams above them in the Middlesex Liberty standings (and which beat the Marauders early in the season) at Arlington on Friday night before welcoming undefeated Woburn – ranked 5th in the Boston Globe’s poll – at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 3, at the Wenner Fieldhouse. 

In her inaugural season leading the Marauders, Macklin said she “always prepare the girls for a ‘what if’ moment, and today was a ‘what if,’ and they have been stepping up tremendously even before Sophia got hurt.” 

“I’m constantly challenging them. And they stepped up to meet the challenge. They did everything that we needed them to do. Everybody understands their role on this team, and it does take a team effort,” said Macklin.

Leading Belmont Wednesday was sophomore guard Sarah Geller who scored a career-high 20 points and dished out 10 assists. Geller’s point total was limited as she sat on the bench for half of the second half as Macklin liberally used her bench during the game.

“I usually play point guard,” said Geller, “but with Sophia out, we all kind of have to step up, so I moved into her spot” in the 4-Out Offense, where four players play on the perimeter, while one operates in the high or low post. “I think that was different, but that was also great because I was able to contribute in a lot of different ways.” 

“We wanted to make the playoffs, so I just tried my best to step up,” said Geller.

Geller started the game on a hot streak, scoring eight of Belmont’s 15 points in the first quarter as the Marauders took off to a 15-4 lead, with her last basket coming off a fast break layup after a block by senior co-captain Erin Attridge. But it was Belmont’s defensive set-up that proved decisive as the Red Hawks produced a limited number of open opportunities at the basket. In the second quarter, Geller would put up seven points with junior Becca Christensen and first-year forward Gwen Cornett each contributing a bucket to extend the Marauders lead to 26-10 at the half. At one point in the half, Macklin had two first-years, a pair of sophomores, and a senior on the court, providing game time to her bench players. 

While Melrose did cut the lead to 10 (35-25) with a minute and a half remaining in the third quarter, the return of the starters restored a 15-point advantage at the start of the final eight minutes. Nine Marauders hit the scoresheet with sophomore Eva Berlis with three buckets and a three (9 points), Christensen at six and numerous rebounds, while junior Caroline Scanlan hit a critical three to stop Melrose mini-run in the third.

Belmont now prepares for Arlington and Woburn; each will be a good measure of how competitive the Marauders will be against playoff-like teams.

“I think we’ve really grown as a team as the season has gone on,” said Geller. “We kind of had a rough start – coming out of the blocks at 1-4, but we’re a much closer team, and our chemistry has built up, so I think we just need to stick to how we play. We have to control the pace and not get rattled by them.” 

“Against both Woburn and Arlington, we have to be prepared, as we are for every game,” said Macklin. “Whenever we play any opponent, it doesn’t matter who the upcoming opponents are. We are always prepared to play whoever we’re scheduled to play. So it’s going to be a battle, and I’m looking forward to it. The girls are looking forward, and at the end of the day, they’re having fun. So that’s all that matters.” 

Hoops: 1,000! Belmont Girls McClendon Hits Milestone; Boys Just Short In Big Comeback Try

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Photo: Belmont HIgh Senior Sophia McClendon reached the 1,000 point milestone

Belmont HIgh Senior Sophia McClendon came to the charity stripe with the game tied against visiting Winchester at 42 with a chance to put Belmont into the lead in the closing half-minute of Friday’s game.

McClendon’s free throw – awarded after being fouled on a breakaway to the basket with 32.5 seconds remaining – would not only put Belmont in a winning position, but it was also a career milestone: the 1,000th point in her four-year varsity tenure.

Three bounces of the ball, a look at the hoop, a bend of the knees, a flip of the wrists: Nothing but net.

But after making the shot, nothing happened. No jumping up and down, or embraces, and the other celebrations associated with a momentous event. McClendon and the players were preparing for the second free throw when the Belmont bench called a timeout.

As the team huddled during a timeout, the stats were rechecked, and sure enough, McClendon had reached the thousand point plateau. Cheers and applause erupted inside Wenner Field House, with screams, hugs, smiles, congratulations, and many happy tears greeting the senior captain. For the record, McClendon missed the second freebie but Belmont would grab the rebound and run out the clock for the one-point victory over the 10-3 Red and Black.

“That was really emotional, having played for all these years in the Fieldhouse to do it at home,” said McClendon, holding flowers and a poster featuring a photo of her with ‘1,000’ points. 

McClendon recognized her teammates and coaches over the past four years “because they really made it all happen.” 

A stalwart on both ends of the court, McClendon has led the Marauders into the MIAA Div. 1 playoff during her three years – securing two home tournament games – while earning Middlesex League All-Star status in the past two years. 

The game tape of Friday’s encounter isn’t likely to be studied as the apex of high school hoops, as both teams took some time to heat up, evident by the 9-2 score – Belmont in front – at the end of the first. Belmont retained the lead into the half, 20-14, but a seven-point third by Belmont saw Winchester cut the Marauders’ advantage to two, 27-25, entering the final eight minutes. A three-point shot by senior Erin Attridge – the first of two in the fourth quarter by Attridge – saw Belmont’s lead grow to six, 36-30, with five minutes remaining. But a run of four threes by the Red and Black would tie the game at 38-38 with two to go. The second three by Attridge and a pair by guard Sarah Geller would see the contest knotted at 42 when McClendon, who finished with a game high 13 points, came to the line to make history.

Belmont (7-4) is on a midseason hot streak, having not lost in 2026, winning five in a row, which includes a win over Stoneham on Tuesday, Jan. 20. Belmont stands 23rd in the MIAA Div. 1 Power Rankings, with the top 32 receiving automatic tournament bids.

Boys’ Hoops

Coming out of the locker room at the end of halftime, Belmont High Boys Basketball was starring up from a deep hole, trailing Middlesex Liberty leaders and undefeated Winchester by 15 points, 37-22. 

But with a packed Wenner Fieldhouse encouraging the home team on Belmont Basketball Night, the Marauders stepped up both sides of their game, limiting the high-scoring Red and Black to a pair of free throws and throwing down 17 points of their own in the third to enter the fourth quarter tied up at 39. It was a team effort on both ends for the floor with senior co-captain Charles Tingos leading a balanced scoring effort with five points while a tight, suffocating defense allowed Belmont to cut into the lead for the entire eight minutes. 

Entering the final quarter with a single point, senior co-captain Andre Chavushian would spark the Marauders’ effort with 10. In one sequence, Chavushian hit a three to cut a Winchester lead to one, 46-45, made a steal, and with 2:40 remaining, hit a pretty jumper to give Belmont a 49-48 lead. When junior Peter McLaughlin completed the 2+1 nine seconds later, the Marauders had its largest lead, 52-48. 

A Chavushian free throw kept the lead at four, 54-50, and when junior center Braiden Dargon took down the missed second freebie and passed it back to Chavushian who was fouled with 53.9 seconds left, Belmont was looking good at taking down a Top-20 program. But the only thing that came from the two free throws was a miss and an offensive foul that allowed Winchester to pull within three on the front end of the 1 and 1. The second free throw was missed, but the rebound ended up in the hands of Winchester’s senior Harrison Burbine who sank a three-ball with 44.6 seconds remaining to knot up the game at 54, sending the game into OT.

In the four-minute overtime, Winchester’s senior wing Dawson English would not be stopped, scoring six of his game-high 26 points, leaving Belmont feeling a bit deflated as Chavushian could not hit a potential game-tying drive at the death. Three Marauders reached double digits, led by Dargon with 15, followed by Tingos (12) and Chavushian (11).

Belmont currently stands at 6-5 with an MIAA Power Ranking of 38.

Belmont High Hoops: Boys Enters New Year With A New ‘Fun’ Look; A Young Girls Squad Rebuilding Thru Senior Leadership

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Photo: Belmont senior All-Star guard Sophia McClendon driving against Arlington.

With both teams introducing new head coaches this season, Belmont High boys and girls basketball have started off the new season attempting to find an identity that will move the

Boys bring fun back to Wenner Field House

After a number of years in which it was looking up from a deep end of the standings, Belmont High Boys’ have entered the 2025-26 season having rediscovered a vibe it hasn’t had for quite a while.

“It’s a team that’s having fun,” said Dan Burns who played and coached at Woburn High before taking his first head coaching post in Belmont. A lot of that fun comes from the style of play Burns has installed with this youngish team.

“Belmont has always had a tradition of playing fast, and getting the ball out of the net. We have the bodies and the skill set to be able to wear teams down, which cause turnovers, which led to easy baskets as we are being able to get out on the break,” said Burns.

“I think we have the ability to really pressure and bother teams, especially on the defensive side,” he noted. “We have all the pieces to make a strong run in the league and that leads to success later in the season.”

Belmont enters 2026 with a 4-3 record as it heads into the heart of the Middlesex League rotation of games beginning in the new year. With the exception of a final of the Adams Holiday Tourney, Belmont has been competitve in each of its five games. The Marauders’ one-point loss, 45-44, to Arlington was a result of Belmont making one of three shots from the charity stripe with a second left in the game. [Belmont fell to Burlington, 78 – 59, on Tuesday, Jan. 6]

Burn’s sends out a young starting five with three juniors and a sophomore joining senior co-captain Andre Chavushian. But Burns notes that he’s ready and willing to empty most of his bench, using 9 to 10 players to play significant roles on the floor.

Leading the offense early in the season has been Chavushian, junior guard William Murphy and sophomore forward Liam Phillips. Add the presence of the team’s big man junior center Braiden Dargon who is adept at blocking out for rebounds on both ends and has rocked the court with some hard blocks. Starter junior guard Theo Sorblom and senior co-captain Charles Tingos have seen their share of minutes so far.

Three Marauders hit double digits in the season opener win vs Watertown. Dargon led the scoring with 17, Murphy (with two threes) coming home with 12, and Chavushian 11, as Tingos and Sorblom came home with nine each. In the opening game of the Adams Holiday Tournament at Concord-Carlisle on Dec. 27, Murphy finished with 21 points and Dargon put up 17 points in the Maruaders’ 69-51 win over Weymouth.

Belmont will visit Lexington on Friday, Jan. 9, before heading home on Tuesday, Jan. 13, against Wilmington.

Girls toughing it out its rebuilding

“That was ugly,” said newly-installed Belmont Girls’ Basketball Head Coach Antonia Macklin after the Marauders had just won its first game of the 2025-6 season, a 43-23 home walk over of a very young Wakefield High squad on Dec. 16.

And it appears the Marauders will have to endure more slugfests as the team finds itself in a rebuilding season under its first year head coach. Macklin – who was a star at Boston’s Jeremiah E. Burke High School before heading off to the University of Iowa where she as a member of the 1993 Hawkeye team that played in the semifinals of the NCAA Final Four – comes to Belmont from Boston’s Holland High School of Technology to take on a challenge of developing a winning program

“We’re a young team. We lost a lot of seniors from last year, so we’re looking to rebuild. But this is a good group as we are returning six varsity players and we have eight new additions who I am excited about.”

“Defense is key. I love playing defense. I played for one of the top coaches in the country and the defense was our thing. I want to see how we look playing man to man and how we look in the zone,” she said.

While praising her team’s overall effort early in the season, Macklin said the players have been wanting to do so much instead of just letting their game flow. “We don’t necessarily have to keep shooting so we can penetrate as well. So those are things that we can work on and practice.”

“But overall, I thought they did a good job,” she noted.

The Marauders’ is led by senior All-Star guard Sophia McClendon. The four-year starter is the team’s “go to player” on the offense end of the court and is a dominate force on defense, with her rebounding and shot blocking ability, swatting away four attempts in Belmont’s loss to Arlington.

Joining McClendon as a veteran varsity presence is junior Becca Christensen, who has been a magnet under the boards, coming down with 13 rebounds against Watertown and 11 vs. Wakefield.

The remaining starters are youngsters playing their first season on varsity, with sophomores Sarah Geller and Reece Bundy in the backcourt and first-year Eleanor Siegert joining Christensen up front. Macklin uses her bench judiciously, able to bring in senior twins (and co-captains) Erin and Leah Attridge, along with forwards junior Stella Ivkovic and first year Gwen Cornett.

“I’m expecting a lot from [our seniors] being on the floor, but also looking for their leadership as well. So they play a major part of us putting this young group together,” said Macklin.

After struggling in the first two weeks of the season winning one of four, the Marauders has taken two of its last three including an opening victory against host Cambridge in the Cambridge Legends Classic on Dec. 29 and a 10 point win against Burlington.

Belmont will be on the road taking on Lexington on Friday, Jan. 9 before returning home on Jan. 13 against Wilmington. Tip off is at 6 p.m.

Belmont Girls’ Hoops Host Newton North Tigers In Opening Round Of Division 1 State Tourney Friday

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Photo: Belmont High Junior Sophia McClendon (center) in action vs. Woburn

In its preview of the MIAA girl’s state tournament, the Boston Globe noted that the best first-round matchup in Division 1 will be 18th-ranked Newton North (12-8) at No. 15 Belmont (13-7) at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 28. 

And why not think that? The Belmont High Girls are entering its third consecutive playoff run after a solid season finishing second in the Middlesex League Liberty behind 19-1 Woburn and earning a home game in the post-season. And for four-year head coach Shantell Jeter, the match will be her third attempt at winning her first playoff game since taking the helm. 

Newton North has had nearly identical records and power rankings as Belmont for the past three years. With similar game scoring (Newton North at 52 points per game), the game will likely be a nick-and-tuck affair, so fans can expect to stay until the final buzzer. 

“The girls have been improving through the season and I have been asking them to keep the intensity on,” said Jeter. “We’ve been looking towards the playoffs so we can’t let up. 

The Marauders scored an impressive 54 points per game average behind senior co-captain forward Linda Sheng and league all-star and co-captain junior true forward Sophia McClendon, averaging double figures. 

Joining the scoring pair include first-year youngster Sarah Geller and junior Sophia Pang, who play in the more traditional guard positions and are the keys to Jeter’s high-pressure person-to-person defense. 

Opening Day For Belmont High Hoops an Up (Girls) and Down (Boys) Affair

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Photo: Belmont vs Melrose

It was an up-and-down result for Belmont High’s Hoop teams on their opening day of the 2024-25 Boy and Girls’ campaign on Friday, Dec. 13. While the Marauders Girls romped past Melrose, the Boys wasted the efforts of a pair of impressive sophomores as the Raiders took home the victory from the Wenner Field House.

Boys: Melrose 51, Belmont 47

Belmont Head Coach Darren Martinez didn’t sugarcoat his team’s opening performance losing to a solid – but hardly great – Melrose squad. It needs to improve everywhere.

“There’s a lot to be learned on both ends of the floor, individually and as a team. We just had a lot of self-inflicted wounds that hurt you, I expected a little bit of sloppiness. I wish we would have come prepared, but just like I’ve always told you past couple of years, players win, coaches lose. So that’s on me,” said Martinez.

But Martinez saw a few sparks of optimism during the game, pointing to a pair of sophomores in Brayden Dargon and Pete McLaughlin who led the Marauders in scoring with 15 and 8 points.

It was somewhat understandable that the season opener would get off on a as Melrose (1-0) ran off to an 8-2 lead in the first four minutes only to see Belmont (0-1) go on a 9-0 run behind the slick play of Dargon to finish the first quarter up 11-8.

But just like that, the Raiders said “Hold our Gatorade” and matched Belmont’s surge with one of its own, an 11-0 spurt to snatch a 19-11 lead after 3:31 into the quarter, an advantage it would not give up for the remainder of the contest. Belmont did bring the deficit back to two, 21-19, but would trailed 23-19 at the half.

The third quarter saw the lead stay steady in the four to five-point range as Belmont’s guard kept the Marauders in range with a pair of knockdown jumpers as the Raiders entered the final eight minutes leading 37-32. Once again Belmont began hitting their shots and when Will Murphy hit a corner three with six minutes to cut the lead to a single point, it appeared Belmont had grabbed the game’s momentum for a late-game charge.

But Melrose’s senior big man Owen Mujalli would do what senior captains are expected in the final moments: put the team on his back. Mujalli first stole a cross-court pass and drive for two, then hit a spinning jumper for a deuce, and finished with a line-drive three to give Melrose a critical six-point spread, 47-41, in the final two minutes.

Belmont would fight back with a two-from Williams with 25 seconds remaining cutting the lead to a single possession, 50-47. But an apparent clean steal from a Belmont double team was blown as a foul, much to the noisy consternation of the Belmont Girls team watching in the stands. Mujalli – who scored 10 of his game high 18 points in the fourth – knocked down one of two from the charity stripe and ended the game with a defensive rebound.

“I’m gonna challenge my upper class and my juniors and seniors to be leaders and step up and help the young guys. To have sophomores step up like that is great, but I don’t think any great team is relying on sophomores to carry them,” said Martinez.

Next up for the Marauders will be an early season traveling two miles to historic rival Watertown on Tuesday, Dec. 17. It will be played at Watertown Middle School.

“The team showed its potential at times in the game, but they need to be better prepared mentally and physically for future games, especially against tougher opponents like Watertown, that’s for sure,” he said.

Girls: Belmont 70, Melrose 21

It was all smiles as the Girls’ Marauders entered Wenner Field House after the crimson and white dismantled the host Raiders by nearly 50 points, 70-21. “We beat them. Period,” a Marauder said emphatically describing the game between two mismatched Middlesex League teams.

Senior point guard Gabby Orfanos scored a game-high 18 points which included four threes, and sixth-player extraordinaire senior Brynn Connolly added 11 points. First-year Sarah Geller, who third-year head coach Shantell Jeter is high on after the preseason, started the game and knotted eight points.

Gabby had a real breakout game to show what she can do in every game while having a freshman on the floor to start tonight was also another message that we sent,” said Jeter.

Each of Belmont’s 14 member squad got a chance to get on the court in the game which Belmont outscored 22-1 in the first quarter.

“It was a good team effort,” said Jeter. “While they didn’t really have too much we still had a lot of opportunities to work on” a lot of our stuff” including a chance to mix and match lineups. Jeter also praised the team’s defense, producing a handful of five-second calls

Belmont will host its first home match against Watertown on Tuesday with tip-off at 6 p.m. said the Raiders will provide a much stiffer opponent this time around.

“We’ll have to be more intense. We gotta turn up every game,” she said.

0:18


Like about this game. I’m sure I’ll find some good things as well. When we listen and when we played together, when the ball moved, we got good shots.


yeah, we showed spurn to what we can do, and a lot of that is, you know, the bench has to be ready to play. You know, the starters played a lot in the second half, and a lot of it has to be with guys kind of not being ready, maybe nerds for the first game, a little bit of jitters.

I have to get them prepared, but they have to themselves, be mentally and physically prepared as well, so hopefully we bounce back on Tuesday, but it’s not going to be any easy against Watertown mastery.

Belmont High Hoops: Girls’, Boys’ Playoff Bound But A Way To Go Before Tourney Ready

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Photo: Belmont High Senior Co-Capt. Mia Ferrari and sophomore Sophia McClendon vs. Lexington

The good news: Both Belmont varsity basketball teams are playoff bound having secured their 10th win this season.

The flip side: The Marauders Boys’ and Girls’ are not looking, just quite yet, ready to withstand a tournament game much less going on a playoff run in the MIAA Division 1 post season that starts next week.

Case in point: Seniors Night games on Feb. 9 against Lexington that both Marauder teams hosted at the Wenner Field House. It’s certain Belmont’s girls and boys will be meeting similarly skilled squads as Lexington in the playoffs which gave the games a Cassandra quality peering into the future. And while Belmont was able to keep both games outcome within a couple of baskets, the Minutemen demonstrated just a bit more basketball smart to carry off the wins by the final buzzer.

Too much second quarter Sam

In the opener of last weeks doubleheader, the Belmont Boys’ were coming off a 5-2 stretch to earn its 10th victory demolishing Woburn, 59-29. But despite a 10-6 overall record, Belmont’s all important MIAA Power Ranking – which is used to seed the teams in the playoff – was a paltry 41st in which the first 32 teams automatically make the tournament. Teams with a .500 record or better are added to the post season but must win a play-in game against the lowest automatic teams to make the 32-team tourney.

Friday’s matinee game set two teams with nearly identical records. Lexington’s power ranking was 40th and they were seeking its 10th win. The Marauders took advantage of its tall, physical forwards – senior co-Capt.’s Donovan Holway and Gabriel Meyer-Herron with junior Ryan O’Byrne – to get off to a 15-10 first quarter lead.

But the second quarter quickly turned into “Showtime with Sam” as Lexington’s Sam Myerberg had career eight minutes. The sophomore guard started by hitting consecutive 3’s, then going one for two from the free throw line then hit two more treys finishing the quarter with 17 points and 22 for the half to push the Minutemen to a 35-29 lead after the first half. Belmont relied on its big men specifically Meyer-Herron but too many times on the court the Marauders were not executing with quickness allowing Lexington to hold the advantage to the frustration of Head Coach Darren Martinez.

The Minutemen continued their onslaught this time highlighted by senior co-capt. guard Derin Ongur (19 points for the game) who canned two threes and a straight away jumper to increase the lead to 48-31 with three minutes left in the third quarter. While this could have been a good time to think about its next game, Belmont got back in the game as Meyer-Harron and O’Byrne headed inside the paint to score and drag the team to within nine at the end of three, 48-39.

Belmont up the tempo in the fourth and got to the charity stripe three times only ending up missing the six free throws they were awarded. The Marauders kept chipping away, cutting the Minutemen lead to 57-53 with two to play. But a technical foul on a Belmont player gave Lexington four shots from the line and they didn’t miss to put the lead back to eight, 61-53 with 1:05 to play. And when Myerberg hit for a three – he finished with 32 points – on the next time down the court, that was all she wrote as Lexington eased to a 68-63 win.

Stella stellar for Lexington

The nightcap saw Belmont Girls coming into the game on the wrong end of a three game losing streak, seeing them drop to 14th in the power ranking at 10-7, getting uncomfortably close to the 17th ranking which would result in the Marauders missing out on hosting a home game. Facing them was 12-4 Lexington – 8th in the power rankings- squad that defeated Belmont earlier in the season, 48-39.

After the tipoff, the Minutemen showed immediately their skills, using quick cutting runs through the paint to open space against Belmont’s zone defense for easy baskets to lead 9-4 midway through the quarter. But lead by senior capt. Mia Ferrari and sophomore Sophia McClendon, Belmont fought back to where a pair of free throws from junior Brynn Connolly to tie the score at 13 after one.

Belmont came out with purpose and snatched the lead, 18-17 off a junior co-captain Linda Sheng drive with 6:20 to play in the quarter. But just like the boys’ game, a Lexington player took hold of the game in the second quarter and didn’t let go. Junior guard Stella Crinti started with a three pointer, followed by a stop and shot basket, than a layup on the break and then handing out two pitch perfect assist to take the Minutemen from one down to 10 up before a three from finished a 13-0 run to give the Minutemen at 30-18 lead that the visitors would not give up. Belmont through Sheng would cut the lead at the half to 30-23.

If there was a statistic that showed the advantage Lexington brought to the game occurred early in the three quarter when the Minutemen took down five offensive rebounds on two possessions resulting in two baskets, one courtesy of a Crinti turnaround to up the lead back to 12 at midpoint in the quarter. Lexington led by 18 – 48-30 – when McClendon went on her one run with two in close buckets and a three to pull Belmont back to 11 only to see that Crinti player hit a three to give Lexington a 51-37 advantage with six left in the game. But Belmont made it interesting with McClendon and Sheng cutting the lead to 56-47 before – guess who – Crinti putting the knife in any hope of a miracle comeback with a straight away three making the score 59-47 as the Minutemen put this win to bed, going home 63-55 victors.

The Belmont Girls would subsequently loss their remaining three games of the regular season to finish the campaign at 10-10 and likely miss out on holding a playoff game. The Boys’ went 1-1 since the Lexington game – a loss at Winchester before winning against visiting Billerica. They have two games left this week against Westwood and Malden Catholic before the start of the playoffs.

Hoops: Belmont Girls’ Herlihy Adding A Scoring Punch To Marauders’ Offense

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Photo: Belmont High Senior Center Julia Herlihy taking a shot from distance

Julia Herlihy is known for her skills as a goaltender for the field hockey team – a goals-against average of 1.1 and nine shutouts this past season – and in the net for the lacrosse team.

But in recent weeks, Herlihy has proved herself to be an offensive force for Belmont High Girls’ Basketball. In the last two games, the senior center has averaged 13 points, including 11 points, with three buckets from beyond the 3-point line against Arlington. Add four blocks and a slew of rebounds in the first half to help Belmont to a 45-34 victory at the Wenner Field House.

This season, Herlihy has been partnering with sophomore forward Sophia McClendon and fellow senior guard co-captain Mia Ferrari to power Belmont to a 6-2 record (2-2 in the Middlesex League), including winning the Cambridge Legions Classic tourney during the winter break. Against the 11th-ranked (in the Boston Globe top 20 poll) Wakefield High, Herlihy joined McClendon with 15 points to force the game into overtime, where Ferrari hit a critical 3 in the final minute to take down the Warriors, 60-56.

Belmont High’s Sophia McClendon (35) has averaged 15 points in the past two games.

Herlihy said she’s not concentrating on being a scoring threat, “but if the shots there, I’m gonna take it. But I’m also looking to pass to other players.”

Against Arlington, the Marauders punished the SpyPonders for grouping under their basket as four Belmont starters threw up three-pointers. The team’s aggressive defense allowed the Marauders to run off to a 16-5 first-quarter lead. Herlihy continued her long-range scoring with two threes, leading Belmont to a 32-18 advantage at the half. McClendon used her speed to score on a pair of breakaways and an in-close jumper to keep the SpyPonder’s arms distance at 40-27 entering the final eight minutes. The fourth quarter was a pondering affair for both teams, each appearing ready to start the weekend.

Second-year Head Coach Shantell Jeter said the team has come far from last year. “Each game we go out there, we play better. We’re working on communication and pace, and I’m trying to teach them not to allow the other team to dictate their pace. We need to be calm and patient and trust each other.”

“So far this season, it’s been a team effort. We just all been working really hard. And it’s going well so far,” said Herlihy.

Belmont Playoff Bound: Three Marauder Teams Start Their Tournament March This Week

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Photo: Belmont High Girls’ Ice Hockey four-year starter Bridget Gray will backstop the Marauders as they take on Malden Catholic in the first round of the MIAA Div. 2 tournament on Wednesday, March 1

Three Belmont High winter sports teams will be playing their first games in the 2022-3 postseason beginning Wednesday, March 1, and running through Friday, March 3. And the middle game will likely be the scholastic farewell for the town’s long-standing skating rink.

On Wednesday, March 1, the 23rd Belmont High Girls Ice Hockey (8-8-3) team will travel to Malden as the Marauders take on 10th-ranked Malden Catholic (9-9-2) in the MIAA Division 2 tournament. The puck will drop at 7:10 p.m. at the Valley Forum in Malden. How to get to the rink? Just get on Route 60 (Pleasant Street) and keep going east; the roadway will deposit you in the facility’s parking lot.

The 10th-ranked Belmont High Boys Ice Hockey (13-6-3) squad will officially end high school sports at Belmont’s Viglirolo Skating Rink on Concord Avenue with a home tournament game as the Marauders welcome the 23rd-seeded Chelmsford High Lions (11-6-3) to the “Skip” on Thursday, March 2. Faceoff will take place at 6:30 p.m.

The Belmont High Girls’ hoopsters (13-9) finished the season as the 16th-ranked team – and the last position to secure a first-round home game – in Division 1 and will host a familiar rival in 17th-ranked Central Catholic of Lawrence (8-12) at the Wenner Field House. Tip-off will be at 6:30 p.m. Fans will remember Belmont losing to the Raiders in consecutive Division 1 North finals (2018-19). The winner will likely meet the number 1 seed Andover next week.

Belmont Public Schools Online Registration for School Year ’23-’24 Opens Friday, Jan. 27

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Photo: Student registration is online for the 2023-24 school year

The annual online registration to attend Belmont Public Schools will begin on Jan. 27. And there is Important registration information for BPS families:

You do not need to register an existing grade 1-12 Belmont Public Schools student.

You do need to register your incoming kindergartner even if you are a current Belmont Public Schools family. To ensure placement of your incoming kindergartner at the same elementary school as your grade 1-4 child, please submit all required documents to complete registration for your incoming kindergartner by April 8. Current Wellington preschool families will be emailed registration instructions.

For grade K-4 families new to Belmont Public Schools:
Please see the K-4 registration page on the BPS website for registration information and paperwork deadlines for school placement dates.
Please also see our Elementary Information Presentations on the BPS registration page (posted when registration opens online). These presentations give general information about Belmont Public Schools, registration, health requirements, and food services.

Grades K-4: http://www.belmont.k12.ma.us/bps/Parents/Registration/K-4-Registration

Grades 5-12: http://www.belmont.k12.ma.us/bps/Registration-Information
If you have any questions regarding your registration, please contact the school where you registered.

Belmont Girls’ Hoops Ups Record To 7-2 With Defensive Gem Over Reading, 52-42

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Photo: Belmont High’s sophomore Cortney Howell in action against the Reading Rockets

Belmont High Girls’ Basketball Head Coach Shantell Jeter could only shrug when asked about her team’s what has become all to familar start to a game. After scoring the first basket via senior captain Sophie McDevitt, the Marauders were bombarded by a young Reading High squad with three threes and a long two to find themselves down, 11-2, after two minutes.

“We often have slower starts,” said Jeter who is in her first year at the helm of the Marauders. “We’ve been talking about the importance of having faster starts” noting that the team needed more possession “and go harder at the other team.”

Belmont High Senior Co-Capt. Sophie McDevitt gets inside

That “being harder” is exactly what the Marauders did for the remainder of the game, holding the Rockets (4-3) to a total of six points over the middle two quarters while making enough of a scoring run to come off the court with a 52-42 victory, pushing up its record to 7-2. Belmont’s two losses were to undefeated Winchester and top-ten Newton North (7-1)

”Everyone contributed today. Everyone was hustling. We had people diving on the floor which is what we love,” said Jeter. “We had the girls getting in there wrapping up the ball every time someone held it.”

After an early timeout, the Marauders start to right the ship with a hard nose, man-to-man defense – demonstrated by a monster block by sophomore Cortney Howell of an attempted three – that cut the lead to 18-11 at the end of the first quarter.

For the next two quarters, Belmont’s team defense was the star, as it bodied up to the Rocket players, winning nearly every defensive rebounding opportunity – thanks to Howell, sophomore Symone Jackson and junior Julia Herlihy – and just frustrating each offensive venture Reading had Friday.

On the break with Belmont High first year Sophia McClendon vs. the Reading High Rockets

“They’re playing better defense together every time,” Jeter said.

The defensive stand was needed as Belmont continues to make questionable shot selections for long portions of the game. While keeping the Rockets to six points, the Marauders scored 23 in the middle quarters (leading 23-21 at the half and 34-24 after three), led by sophomore Linda Sheng with eight and first year Sophia McClandon at five.

The final eight minutes turned into a grinding affair with every Reading scoring run answered by the Marauders including a killer 3 from McClandon – who tied Sheng with 9 points to lead the Marauders in the game – at the 5:36 mark to give Belmont a 10 point lead, 38-28. Junior Mia Ferrari buried six consecutive from the charity stripe, scoring six of the final eight points to finish off the game.

Next up for the Marauders will be at 6-1 Wakefield away on Tuesday and away at winless Arlington Friday.