Bounce Passes
Gianna Addario
During Brooke Stewart's freshman year on the Masconomet girls varsity basketball team, she tallied 107 points. At the time, she was still just Caroline's little sister, stuck in the Chieftain superstar's shadow.
Since then Stewart has done everything in her power to improve her game and make herself a household name as far as top North Shore girls basketball players are concerned.
"When she was a freshman, we didn't really look to her as a scorer," said Masconomet head coach Bob Romeo. "She was just a big strong girl who could rebound and play defense. Then she went home that summer and worked on her ball handling, her shooting range — basically, everything. Her sophomore year she came out of the gate flying and hasn't stopped yet."
At the end of her freshman season, Stewart began playing AAU basketball for the New Hampshire Rivals in March and didn't cease playing until the end of that summer. It was during that time when Stewart realized how bad she wanted to play and how hard she was willing to work to do so.
"I think it was then I knew I wanted to be the best," expressed Stewart, who will play Division 1 college ball at The College of William & Mary on scholarship. "I was always known as Caroline's little sister ... then I started to come into my own."
This past Monday in a Cape Ann League game against Amesbury, Stewart sank her 1,000th career point from the free throw line and cemented herself a spot in Masconomet history as just one of six Lady Chieftains to accomplish the milestone.
"I got fouled in the backcourt and at that point we were in the double bonus (for free throws), so I had two shots," said Stewart. "Claudia (Marsh, her Masco teammate) came running up to me and said 'This is it!' I missed on the first shot, but I settled down and hit the second.
"My whole family was there: my sister Olivia who goes to UVM, my brother Greg, Caroline didn't have practice (for Boston University) that night, so she was there too; and so were my parents — all the people that love me were there."
What made her night even more special was that Stewart's team was able to share in the experience with her.
Despite all of the notoriety Stewart has experienced in her career, she's humble enough to know that team success comes before individual success.
"I'm always going to play as hard as I can, but having my teammates makes my job a lot easier," added Stewart. "There's no way I could have done it without the other girls on the floor."
Averaging a team high 23 points per game, Stewart has one the hottest hands around the CAL. She was able to add to her running total (1,016) in the Wednesday's win over Ipswich.
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While we're on the topic of scoring 1,000 points, here's a look at local girls who entered the millennium club last year and where they're playing now:
Amy Pelletier scored 1,219 career points for her Bishop Fenwick Crusaders and led the team in 3-pointers with 64. Now a freshman for Stonehill College, the 5-foot-7 guard has started in all 14 games the Skyhawks have played and is the third-leading scorer on her team, averaging 9.4 ppg.
Kellie Mcdonald finished with 1,058 points while playing for head coach Pat Veilleux at Danvers. Mcdonald has helped Williams College to a 13-1 record, starting in all 14 games. As a two-time captain for the Falcons, Mcdonald's knowledge of the game as allowed her to play different positions for the Ephs.
Ipswich's Hannah O'Flynn who reached a 1,000 in the first game of her senior season, was the fourth girl in the school's history to earn a spot on the banner. After finishing with 1,050 career points, O'Flynn went on to Dartmouth — but not for basketball. A three-sport athlete in high school who excelled in track and field, she now specializes in the sprints for the Big Green.
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Ipswich senior guard Shannon McFayden recently committed to play Division 3 college basketball at St. Joseph's College in Maine, where she'll major in Business Management.
McFayden received recruiting letters from Division 1 schools such as Princeton and Lehigh after those schools saw her play this past summer in the Nike US Junior Nationals in Washington DC.
As the third-leading scorer for the Tigers (7-2), McFayden made the decision to attend St. Joseph's because of what the campus had to offer.
"When I went their for my second tour, I really enjoyed where the school is located," said McFayden. "It's really perfect, right on Sebago (Lake) and the weather is pretty similar to down here."
McFayden is expecting a more competitive atmosphere at the college level, but with her speed and shooting ability she should fit in well with the Monks.
"I really liked Coach (Mike) McDevitt's personality," added McFayden. "After going to watch the girls play and see what type of style they play, I think it will be a good fit for me."
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If you're looking for something to do tonight, be sure to check out the 7-1 Swampscott girls, who travel to Peabody for a NEC clash at 7 p.m. The Big Blue have been flying under the radar, but have been perfect in every showing except a Dec. 28 loss to Bedford.
Ara Talkov and Caroline Murphy have really stepped up for Swampscott offensively. Talkov is averaging 11.9 points a game and not far behind is Murphy, who averages 10 ppg.
Another key: the Big Blue have been able to stay healthy following an injury stricken season last year.
Coach Jack Hughes stresses the importance of team defense, which clearly has been paying off for the Big Blue, who convert defense into offense with adriotness and precision.
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Bounce Passes, a column on North Shore girls basketball, runs every Friday during the winter sports season in The Salem News. Contact Gianna Addario at GAddario@salemnews.com, 978-338-2615 and follow her on Twitter @GiannaAddarioSN.
