“The kids are amped for it,” said Feehan coach Amy Dolores. “Over the last couple years, it’s been the norm for us. It’s really cool to see teenagers respond to that pressure over and over again.”
On Wednesday night, Bishop Feehan handled every surge from a gritty fifth-ranked Needham squad that never relented, staying poised to earn a 53-41 triumph.
They turned defense into offense, played with pace, and set each other up for success with a steady stream of deflections.
“I really do enjoy defense, and I enjoy when my teammates enjoy defense, too,” said Bishop Feehan senior Mollie Mullen. “We bring a lot of defensive intensity, and that really helps motivate and push our offense.”
Mullen, who will play at Stonehill, led the way with 14 points. Junior Avery Teixeira added 13 points and 12 rebounds, junior Addie Frenette chipped in 12 points, and Shannon LaMorticelli and Emmette Barry were the glue for the Shamrocks (7-2).
Needham senior sharpshooter Hannah Levine, who will continue her career at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, paced the No. 5 Rockets (9-1) with 14 points, and Bowdoin-bound classmate Eva Andrews contributed 11 points and six blocks.
The Rockets — aided by Aislin Flaherty (9 points), Lacey Williams (7), and defensive guru Dani Deroian — proved they belong among the elite.
“You don’t want to be at your best in January,” said Needham coach Lindsay Miller. “We’ll take it, we’ll learn from it, and we’ll keep getting better. That’s what our whole season is about. It’s about our process of growing and becoming and playing like champions.”
Miller credited Andrews for anchoring the defense and playing like “a warrior.” She stabilized the Rockets in the paint, yet Mullen, Frenette, and Co. still found crafty angles to finish in traffic.
Teixeira crashed the glass hard and her teammates followed suit. A swing player last year, she’s emerged as a catalyst on a team that has seamlessly retooled after losing plenty of talent from a season ago.
