The Immaculate Conception seventh- and eighth-grade girls team won the program's first North Shore Catholic Elementary School Basketball League Championship Tournament, held March 6 and 7 at St. Mary's High in Lynn.
Second-seed IC qualified for the championship game by defeating Our Lady of Assumption of Lynnfield, 42-34, in the semifinal March 6. Julia Schlich and Isa Berznansky led the IC Lady Pelicans with 13 points each.
The title game pitted IC against top-seed St. John's Beverly. St. John's entered the game with a perfect 17-0 record and had defeated the Lady Pelicans twice, 37-26 in January and 35-24 in February. St. John's led at halftime by a score of 16-9. The Lady Pelicans, coached by Alyce Risteen and Eileen Bergin, caught fire in the second half, forcing overtime with a 34-34 tie score at the end of regulation.
The Lady Pelicans kept the momentum during the overtime period, recording a 45-37 victory. Schlich led the Lady Pelicans with 18 points and Morgan Johnston chipped in with 13 points.
On Sunday, IC advanced to the Eastern Mass. CYO championship game with a victory over Monsignor Haddad of Needham. The Lady Pelicans will play Blessed Sacrament of Walpole Sunday (3:30 p.m.) at Milton High in the championship. The winner will advance to the New England CYO Championship in Manchester, N.H.
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