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JV TEAM AWARD: MIAA ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE TEAM AWARD FOR ACHIEVING GPA 2.5 OR HIGHER

VARSITY TEAM : MIAA ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE TEAM AWARD FOR ACHIEVING GPA 3.0 OR HIGHER

2. OUTSTANDING PLAYER: TAKEYA FAISON

4. DEFENSIVE PLAYER: MARY BALDINI

5. MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: ASHLEY DONOVAN

6. DETERMINATION AWARD: JUSTINA ALICUDO

The 2003-04 Lynn Classical Girls basketball team had its most successful year ever. The team had several goals that were mostly accomplished. Regaining the Lynn Christmas Tournament Championship by defeating Lynnfield 72-52 was an early season highlight. The team dominated the regular season opposition finishing 20-0. Lynn Classical beat every team by 10 or more points with the exception of the first Gloucester game in which Classical won by three in overtime. The team won the Northeastern Conference Championship for the fist time in the schools history. The team scored an average of 62.2 points per game and gave up only an average of 40.5 points per game. We advanced to the North Section Final at Tsongas Arena before losing to Andover.

The season was highlighted by several incredible performances by Monique Lee. Monique became the fourth girl to achieve 1000 points on January 2, 2004 as she dropped in 29 points. She had 30 points against second place Swampscott on January 19, 2003. Monique saved her best games for the MIAA tournament. She scored 27, 21, and 27 points in the three games. She was named Northeastern Conference Player of the Year and an All-Star for the third time. Monique was named to the Boston Globe and Boston Herald All-Scholastic teams. She finished her career with 1316 points and 960 rebounds.

Takeya Faison was also a most influential and dominant player on this team. Her personal high was 20 points against Danvers but her biggest contribution was being a most unselfish point guard who sacrificed personal gain for the good of the team. Takeya finished with 854 total points and was a two time Northeastern Conference All-Star. Takeya was also a Herald All Scholastic team member.

The 2003-2004 Lady Rams were truly a team. Who will ever forget the fast break basketball led by Paula McGinn, a three sport Northeastern Conference All-Star. Nor will they forget the three point shot from Sophomore Ashley Donovan that tied the Gloucester game that Classical won in overtime. How about Mary Baldini’s clutch 13 points, mostly down the stretch, as Classical came from behind to beat Lowell in the North Semi-Final? How about Justina Alicudo returning to play after having the misfortune of missing the entire regular season with another torn ACL knee injury.

I would like to also thank my entire coaching staff, which made invaluable contributions to the success of this team. I could not think of a harder working and more supportive staff than Tom Sawyer, Dennis Baldini and Geoffrey Boyd. The players appreciate what they have meant to the success of the program. I would also like to thank Jim Ridley for his many hours of volunteer coaching as well as being in charge of the booster program. Thank you to everyone who has supported the Lady Rams this season.

Some started in early December. Some never stopped from last year. Regardless of when they started, every girl on the Lady Rams basketball team gave it their all this season. When they stepped on the court during pre-season, each girl knew they were working for two main goals: to finish in first place in the NEC, and to win a state title. Obviously, the team knew they had to work at their goals in steps, meaning to play one game at a time. And that is exactly what they did.

The girls started out excited; excited to be on the team, excited to play the game, and also, excited to prove the pessimists wrong. Many believed the team would be beaten by either Swampscott or Gloucester. They believed that Gene Constantino did not have the coaching ability to take this team to a first place title, or that Monique Lee would be all they had because no one else was good enough to step up. I hope that these believers’ minds have been somewhat changed.

The 2003-2004 Lady Rams took the NEC. Many teams proved to be no match for the girls. Gloucester put up a strong fight during the first meeting, yet fell victims in overtime the second game. Classical continued an undefeated streak through the entire regular season, finishing 20-0 (winning 18 conference games and 2 out of conference games). The girls made history. Never had a girls basketball team from Lynn Classical gone undefeated or won an NEC Championship title. Goal #1 had been completed. Apparently, this was not enough. People began to talk about the girls’ accomplishment being existent due to a weak league. Weak, Strong, whatever it was, these girls proved that hard work and perseverance pays off.

Next was the state tournament. After having a bye for the first round, the girls knocked off Cambridge and Lowell, making it to the Tsongas Arena for their rematch with last years victor, Andover.After 32 minutes of play, some tough calls, along with extreme effort, Andover ended up with more points.

I am unable to find the right word to sum up the feelings that came along with this past season, all the way up until its end. Unforgettable, Memorable, Exciting, Thrilling, Monumental; all come to mind; yet do not seem to fit the right description. As a team, we know we proved a lot to the “non-believers”, but more importantly, to ourselves. Thank you to all of our supporters. This year’s seniors will leave the school in June with heads held high, appreciative of being a part of such a thrilling journey.

LOWELL - Ashley McLaughlin knew it was go time. And she delivered. The 6-foot-2 senior forward made a terrific block and followed that up with a clutch 3-pointer to give defending state champion Andover its second straight Division 1 North sectional crown with a 64-57 win over previously unbeaten and No. 1-seeded Lynn Classical last night at Tsongas Arena.
Andover, which was making its fourth straight sectional final appearance, will play Dartmouth in the the state semifinals tomorrow night (7:45) at the FleetCenter.
``I got the ball and I knew it was going in,'' said McLaughlin, who ended the night with 13 points. ``I was not going to miss. I knew it was going in and I wouldn't settle for anything but.''
Andover (19-5) trailed by as many as 13 points early in the second half, but slowly crept back into the game despite the presence of Monique Lee, who had a game-high 27 points.
Lee picked up her fourth foul with 5:47 to go and went to the bench for a minute before returning. After Andover took a one-point lead, McLaughlin blocked a shot by Lee, setting up a crucial jump shot out of the left-hand corner by Liz Pallotta. After the first of two straight turnovers for Classical, McLaughlin put the game away for good, nailing her trey with 1:55 to go.
``Pallotta's shot was huge,'' coach Jim Tildsley said. ``After that we used the clock until the end, and then Maggie (Cosgrove) gave a great bounce pass to Ashley, who hit a big, big shot . . . We're still the defending champions, but I can't believe we're going back to the FleetCenter.''
While Lee was giving Andover all kinds of trouble in the paint, the Warriors were looking for their outside shooting to buoy them against Classical's 1-3-1 defense. Junior guard Jackie Powers was up for the challenge as she buried three treys on her way to 19 points. Leading by five points with 57 seconds to go, she put the icing on the cake by nailing a free throw. She pumped her fist in the air in celebration.
``This is one of the toughest places to shoot at,'' Powers said. ``I took a million shots during warm-ups and only a few went in, so when I hit a few in the game I was just so psyched.''
Powers kept Andover in the game in the first half as she contributed with 11 of her points, including back-to-back baskets in the final two minutes.
``One thing about this team is we play with a lot of heart,'' Powers said. ``We might not be the most skillful bunch, but we just go out there and play together with so much heart. I think the pressure was on them. They were undefeated, but we had played here before so we knew what it was like. It was just a matter of us getting over our nerves and keeping the adrenalin going.''
Lynn Classical (22-1) seemed to have been in a comfortable position for most of the game, out-rebounding Andover, holding on to the ball better and doing a good job defending McLaughlin.
But several turnovers down the stretch cost the Rams.
``That's a very good team over there,'' Classical coach Gene Constantino said. ``I give them all the credit. We're just pretty sad right now. We wanted to keep on going. There's no shame of losing to this team, especially since no one thought we would go this far. We made history in the school this season but this is tough. We really wanted to keep on going.''

Andover (64): Jackie Powers 5-2-19, Matia Kostakis 3-4-10, Ashley McLaughlin 5-1-13, Emily Pallotta 1-0-2, Megan Merinder 4-1-9, Liz Pallotta 4-3-11, Totals 24-11-64.

Lynn Classical (57): Mary Baldini 1-1-3, Takeya Faison 2-3-8, Paula McGinn 6-0-12, Monique Lee 8-11-27, Ashley Donovan 1-4-7, Totals 18-19-57.

Last nights Division 1 North semi-final, between the #1 seed Lynn Classical Rams and #4 seed Lowell Red Raiders, certainly had tourney atmosphere. The Rams came out hot behind the efforts of Takeya Faison, who connected on 3 of 4 shots, giving her 8 quick points and the Rams the early lead, only to see it be relinquished to a relentless Lowell team. The Red Raiders were lead by Kayleigh Scannell, who finished the game with 28 points. The Lady Rams showed the heart of a champion, as they were at their biggest deficit of the season, trailing 49-37 with 8 minutes to go and things looking faint. But the Rams came storming back behind heavy pressure, great hustle, and true desire. They finally came all the way back to get their first lead of the second half, 52-51 and never looked back. In the mist of the comeback, there were key plays under the hoop by Mary Baldini (13 points) and Monique Lee, a big 3 by Takeya Faison, and great defense by Paula McGinn and the rest of the Rams, taking numerous charges. The Rams had not lost all season and postseason combined, and they refused to do so last night. The Lady Rams improved to 22-0 on the season. Monique Lee had a double double, with 21 points and 15 rebounds, while Takeya chipped in with 16 points and 5 boards of her own. The Rams advance to the Division 1 North final, where they play the winner of tonight’s Central Catholic vs Andover game.

Classical Cans Cambridge By Dan Ventura, Boston Sunday Herald , 2 / 29, 2004

LYNN - Once Lynn Classical shook off the rust, it proceeded to shake off Cambridge.
         Monique Lee recorded a double-double with 27 points and 15 rebounds, while Takeya Faison had a strong all-around game with 11 points, seven rebounds and seven assists to lead the undefeated Rams to a 70-56 victory over the Falcons in a Division 1 North quarterfinal contest yesterday.
        ``We had a two-week layoff since our last game,'' Lynn Classical coach Gene Constantino said. ``We started out slowly, but once we got our running game going, we just play so much better.''
         After a nip-and-tuck first eight minutes, the Rams (21-0) finally began to assert themselves. Lynn Classical went on a 14-4 run to take a 27-16 lead with 2:14 remaining in the half. Freshman Tonisha Tate came off the bench to supply five points to the spurt, while Paula McGinn (14 points) was a whirling dervish at both ends of the floor.
         ``That's the most we've played Tonisha this year,'' Constantino said. ``She has been really playing well in practice the last two weeks and we didn't hesitate to go to her.''
         Lynn Classical took a 36-24 lead at the break and threatened to blow the game wide open early in the second half, using a 9-0 run to take a 45-29 lead with 11:06 remaining. Cambridge (15-7) then rallied behind standout Stephanie Darden (20 points) to close to within 58-48, but the Rams showed plenty of poise.
         ``It was nice to see our girls not letting up,'' Constantino said. ``We took a timeout after they got it to 10 because I thought we might have been getting a little tired. But we were able to go back to getting the ball to Monique and Takeya.''
         Lee was too much for the Falcons inside, basically doing what she wanted in the paint. The 6-foot-1 senior scored 16 of her points in the final 14:23, many of them on simple post moves.
         ``Last year I said (Salem's) Jen Tamilio was the most improved player in our league,'' Constantino said. ``This year, Monique is the most improved player in the league and she was a league all-star, so that tells you something about her.''

Lynn Classical's Paula McGinn (14 points) drives past Cambridge's Andrise Simil during the Rams' win at Classical on Saturday. (Photo: Jonathon M. Whitmore)

Classical Girls run past Cambridge in Quarterfinal Hoop Game
By Rich Tenorio, The Daily Item of Lynn, Monday, March 1, 2004

Making History… by Justina Alicudo Wednesday, 2/11/04

Last night at the Marblehead gym, the Lady Rams defeated the Headers, landing the sole spot as the “Northeast Conference Champions”. Swampscott trails behind the Lady Rams with two losses, and you can bet that they were hoping to share the title with us. Right now Classical’s record is 19-0. If, by chance, we lose to English on Thursday night, we still hold the title alone.

Although not playing one of our best games, Classical won last night, and we know we need to pick it up for the tournament. Paula McGinn and Mary Baldini played well, helping pick up the team’s offense.

Never in Classical History has a girl’s basketball team won the Conference. Also, we are researching to find out if any Girl’s team has gone undefeated regionally, which we are planning to do. Hats off to Coach Gene Constantino, who has gone from teams not winning any games just a few years ago, to not losing any games this year. He does not receive as much credit as he should (even though he deserves it.)

Senior Paula McGinn, Takeya Faison, and Monique Lee were named NEC All-Stars the other night, and Monique Lee was named League MVP. Takeya Faison came in second to Gloucester’s Haley Keefe in the free-throw contest Monday night. This team has come a long way and proved that hard work does pay off.

Now that we have achieved one goal, we hope to move on to the next, at the State Tournament. Check this web page soon for the Tournament schedule.

Classical Girls Hoop Tops Gloucester; Clinches Tie for NEC Title
By Steve Krause The Daily Item of Lynn Monday, February 9, 2004

Friday night the Lady Rams journeyed to Danvers to bring home yet another victory. The primer minutes of this game allowed Classical’s true colors shine through; however, after those starting minutes the game took a different turn. The Lady Rams’ defense let up a little allowing the Falcon’s to decrease the lead, and eventually tie the game 30-30 by the half.

Coming out of the locker room ready to play, the Rams turned the game around yet again. Takeya Faison, a senior captain, played her game and set the tempo for the rest of the team. Almost achieving a triple double, Faison’s defense was outstanding, along with her persistent offensive efforts. Paula McGinn, once again, used her speed to her advantage, beating the Falcons several times down the court on fast breaks. Coming off the bench, Tonisha Tate played tremendous. Her hustle was like no other towards the end of the game. The Lady Rams continue their undefeated streak and are preparing for this week.

On Tuesday, 1/27/04, the Rams played Winthrop at home, winning 47-21, and bringing our winning streak to all 14 games played this season. With a record of 12 straight wins in our League competition, we are qualified for the Division 1, MIAA tournament. A Boton Globe poll ranks us #2 in Eastern Massachusetts.

Standouts in the game against Winthrop were Paula Mcginn with 14 points in only 18 minutes of playing time. Freshman Tonesha Tate played very well ( with 3 more years of eligibility to come.) Monique Lee had 13 points, 5 steals, 3 blocks, and 9 rebounds during her 23 minutes of playing time.

There are still 6 games to go before the Tournaments, which starts at the end of February. Coach Constantino expects plenty of competition from Gloucester, Danvers, Salem, Marblehead, Saugus, and Lynn English, all vying to put a dent in our unbeaten record. The team would love your verbal support the next few weeks, and you will love their fast game pace! ( See schedule below.)

Last night, the Lady Rams traveled to the home of the Big Blue to continue their undefeated record. Swampscott had one loss, due to the Lady Rams at the beginning of the season, and were hoping to turn the tables this time around. Had Swampscott won, the two would have been tied for the first place slot in the NEC. The Lady Rams started out slow in the first few minutes, while Swampscott grabbed a 4-0 lead. Once we applied our press, the Big Blue appeared frazzled and offensively lost control. Monique Lee, once again, played her game and was unstoppable; not only down low but you could also find her taking outside shots. Takeya Faison’s hustle and defensive efforts made her talent stand out during last night’s performance. Despite her lack of height, Senior Paula McGinn could be found grabbing key offensive rebounds during the second half. The girls knew what had to be done and left Swampscott satisfied with their play. This game was won by top-notch, team defense.

Tuesday night Marblehead came to the Lady Rams court and left with a loss. Although it was not one of the Rams most exciting performances, the girls pulled through with a victory once again to remain undefeated. The Rams’ defense was what kept them in the game. Ashley Donovan and Mary Baldini were huge defensive stand-outs, along with Monique Lee who put great pressure on Marblehead’s key player. Offensively, there was an apparent struggle which the team will improve for Thursday night at our home gym against our city rival, the English Bulldogs.

Classical Girls Basketball Tips Gloucester in OT

By Gordon Vincent / For The Item Saturday, January 10, 2004

LYNN -- Ashley Donovan, welcome to the annals of Lynn Classical High basketball. Donovan, a sophomore, hit a three-pointer with 10 seconds left in regulation to force an overtime in a battle for first place in the Northeastern Conference won by the Rams, 53-50, over Gloucester, Friday night at Classical.The Rams remained undefeated at 9-0 (7-0 NEC), while the Fishermen fell to 6-3 (5-2).

"To be a sophomore and hit a shot like that, she must have ice water in her veins," Classical coach Gene Constantino said. "That was the biggest shot of the game." A game that had just about everything high school basketball has to offer -- 10 lead changes and seven ties, no lead larger than seven points, brutal play under the boards, and often-questionable officiating -- all played out in front of a standing-room-only crowd (though half the bleachers in the gym remained collapsed for some reason). "We seem to bring out our competitiveness whenever we play Lynn Classical," Gloucester coach Jon Flanagan said. "Certainly the coach did."

Just after Donovan nailed her 3-point shot from the left wing, Flanagan picked up a technical foul arguing for a call when Gloucester guard Tommia Davis drove the lane with three seconds left in regulation. The officials ruled Davis lost the ball out-of-bounds and gave possession to Classical. "All I said was, 'You've gotta be kidding me. That call was brutal.' There were no four-letter words," said Flanagan. Fortunately for him, Flanagan wiggled off the hook when Monique Lee (21 points) missed both free throws for the technical foul. A hurried 15-footer at the buzzer by Takeya Faison (12 points) drew only the front of the rim, and the teams headed for overtime.

Gloucester got its only point of the extra session with 2:35 left when Haley Keefe (21 points) made one of two free throws after she was crushed by Donovan going in for a layup. Classical's Paula McGinn (10 points) swished a 15-footer from the left wing to give the Rams the lead for good, but there were some tense moments. After Gloucester was called for a shot-clock violation with 1:01 left, Donovan's three-pointer with 15 seconds still left on the shot clock rimmed out. Jaclyn Murray (11 points) had an open jumper from 15 feet for Gloucester, but the shot bounced out and Faison was fouled with 24.9 seconds left. Faison easily made both free throws, and Gloucester needed a three-pointer to tie. The Fishermen called timeout to set up Keefe, but the best she could muster was a heave from the left of the circle that drew only iron. "(Keefe) had her feet set and was squared up," Flanagan said. "It was a pretty good look."

Classical torched Gloucester's man-to-man defense for a 7-0 run to open the game, and the taller Fishermen quickly switched to a zone that brought them back into a tie at 15-all with 4:25 left in the first half. The Rams' outside shooting was brutal, with their only two points from the perimeter in the period coming from Kassie Gangi's jumper from the free-throw line. The Rams also had to play more than six minutes without Lee, who picked up her second foul with 10:16 left in the first half and sat until the 4:03 mark. When she returned, Lee sparked an 8-2 run that gave Classical a 23-22 lead at halftime.

A couple of three-pointers by Keefe helped Gloucester match its largest lead of the game at 32-27 with 12:06 left in the second half. Classical went to full-court pressure defense shortly thereafter and answered with a quick 7-0 run that gave the lead back to the Rams, and a couple of inside hoops by Lee put Classical on top, 42-37, with 6:05 left. "We went to the press because the pace of the game had slowed down a bit and we wanted to run more," Constantino said. "Our intensity picks up when we run the press."

The Fishermen hung close, however, and took the lead back at 45-44 when Davis (13 points) swished a couple of free throws with 1:37 remaining. McGinn answered with a clutch 16-footer from the left elbow, but Murray gave the lead right back to Gloucester when she rattled in a 5-foot jumper from the left box. Classical's next possession ended in a steal by Keefe, who was fouled in the backcourt by McGinn. Keefe made both free throws to make the score 49-46, setting the stage for Donovan's huge three-pointer. "I knew if I got the ball I had to take a three-point shot," Donovan said. "I was nervous, but when I let the shot go I knew it was going in."

The Lynn Classical girls' basketball team returned home with another victory last night. The girls entered the Salem gym knowing the history of what happened there in the past. Last year, the team was unable to defeat the Witches on both tries. This year, thanks to last night's performance, they set a new mold. The Lady Rams started out strong, playing a man defense and capturing the lead early on in the game. The guards had a tough time, at first, finding Monique Lee down low, but Senior Guard Takeya Faison stepped up and took over. Sophomore Ashley Donovan played excellent defense and her shot offensively was on. Paula McGinn was found a lot on the fast break, making several lay ups to add to the Rams lead. In the second half, the Lady Rams pulled through, pushing the lead to roughly 22 points at one point. Monique Lee, once again, stepped up big down low.

Now, the girls hope to further their 8-0 record to 9-0 Friday night at the Classical Gym against the Gloucester Fishermen.

By Gordon Vincent / For the Item, Saturday, January 3, 2004

SAUGUS - It was entirely fitting that Monique Lee's 1,000th career point came on a low post basket. After all, she's made a career out of offense in the paint.With 29 points, Lee led the Lynn Classical High girls basketball team to a 81-44 win over Saugus, last night, at Saugus High. The Rams (7-0; 5-0 Northeastern Conference) remained undefeated, while the Sachems fell to 1-6 (1-4 NEC).Lee, bound for Quinnipiac College in the fall, needed 21 points coming into the game and her breaking the 1,000-point mark was all but inevitible after she put up 16 points in the first half.

After scoring the Rams' first two buckets of the second half, Lee converted a post-up hoop from the right box to claim her 1,000th and 1,001st points, with 13:24 left in the game. "It feels good to get it overwith, especially in a game we won," Lee said. "My game has always been trying to get the ball underneath and splitting the defense, so I guess it was appropriate to get it that way." The game was stopped to recognize the milestone, and Lee received three boquets of flowers, balloons and hugs from family members. She scored seven more points before retiring for the night with 10:29 left and her team leading, 62-27. "She's playing with so much more confidence this year, and her entire game has improved," Classical coach Gene Constantino said. "She's taking what the defense gives her, and when it's not giving her anything she's passing to the open person."

While the final score indicates this game was a rout, Saugus hung tough for the first nine minutes and trailed just 21-19, when Kristin Kennedy (16 points) hit a three-pointer from the top of the key. "We battled and we fought," Saugus coach Al Gibney said. "The girls decided to come and play basketball tonight and it showed on the court."

The Rams then went on an 11-0 run, holding Saugus scoreless for the next five minutes and to just four points for the rest of the half. A hoop by Lee off a missed free throw, a low post bucket by Kassie Gangi, a free throw by Takeya Faison and a foul-line jumper by Lee in the final 1:17 of the half put Classical on top, 42-23. Lee's early dominance in the second half gave Classical its first 20-point lead, essentially ending the competitive phase of the game.

"We tried to double up on (Lee). We knew she was going for 1,000, and we tried to make her work for it," Gibney said. "But she's such a great player and Classical is a very talented team." Classical's lead peaked at 71-29 when Tonisha Tate nailed a pair of free throws with 6:52 left. Paula McGinn was the only other player in double figures for Classical with 10 points. Meghan Ward added 14 points for Saugus."Give credit to Saugus, they were scrappy and made us work for it," Constantino said. "They played some nice defense and got some a breaks, a lot of breaks, early in the game. Luckily, we didn't lose our composure and our defense got us back it."