ALPOLE -- The Mount Alvernia girls basketball team scored 42 points in the first half of Wednesday’s Division 4 North tourney-opening victory over North Shore Vocational.

For a long while during Saturday’s sectional quarterfinal against Lynn Tech, it looked as though the Mustangs might not make it to 42 points for the entire game.

Yet while outside shooting failed them for the day, the Mustangs were able to make up for it with defense, rebounding and late drives to the basket during a 20-2 run in the second half of a 49-41 triumph at Norfolk Agricultural High.

"If you had asked me before the game if we could have won scoring only 49 points in the game I would have said no way," said Mount Alvernia coach Elaine Pagliarulo, whose fourth-seeded Mustangs (16-6) will next face top-seeded Matignon (19-2) -- a 75-51 winner over the Fenway School in the quarterfinals -- in the second semifinals tomorrow night (Woburn High, 7:30).

The Mustangs were down 30-25 with 12:22 left in the game, then held Lynn Tech without a basket for 9:35 as they turned the five-point deficit into a 13-point lead.

Sophomore center Mary O’Donnell had all 10 of her points in the second half, while sophomore forward Michelle DeRoma (game-high 15 points, 13 rebounds) caught fire late after a rough shooting start. DeRoma’s three-point play with 2:42 left and powerful drive to the basket 44 seconds later put the Mustangs up 47-34 and went a long way toward breaking Lynn Tech’s spirit.

"I am usually kind of hesitant to drive," DeRoma said, "because I am more of a shooter outside and don’t think that’s me sometimes, but I knew with the way we were shooting that I just had to step up and do it."

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