Catching up with Kristen Doherty

It didn't take long. Four games into her collegiate basketball career and Kristen Doherty already has a 20-point game and sunk all five three-point shots she took in an 85-50 win over Vermont this week.

The Boston College freshman, arguably one of the greatest athletes in Sachem history, has settled in quickly at the Atlantic Coast Conference school. The chances of BC making the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006 are looking up.

"It was nerve-wracking the first couple of games," said Doherty, who led Sachem East to a New York State title last season. "I got over it quick though. It's just a lot of fun. Every game you have to play 100 percent at all times."

During the first few games – BC is 4-0 as of Nov. 22 against arguably lowly opponents – Doherty worked on defensive assignments, something Eagles head coach Sylvia Crawley spoke to her about personally.

"They put me on the opponents' key offensive player," she said. "There is just so much more now I have to concentrate on, but it's all clicking."

The grueling part of the season starts in January when BC's ACC schedule starts with teams like NC State, UNC, Maryland and Miami on the horizon.

Right now, Doherty is averaged 11.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, lower than her close to 30-point average in high school, but on par for a freshman.

"She's not really a freshman," Crawley told ESPN.com this week in a blog entry about Doherty and her early felt presence. "She is a special player. She gets what we're doing defensively; she just gets it. She knows where to be at the right time, anticipates very, very well. We're pressing a lot, and we put her in positions where she's able to see the floor and anticipate for steals at the end of the press. She just kind of steadies our team, even though she's a freshman."

Bria Hartley, her counterpart from North Babylon, who plays at UConn and hit a game-winning shot against Baylor last week, is averaging 14 points per game.

"Most of the Long Island kids keep in touch," said Doherty, who will be playing against former Holy Trinity product Terry Green at a tournament in the Bahamas this week.

Doherty said she and her teammates haven't had much time to travel into Boston to enjoy the city's culture, but have spent some time shopping on Newbury Street and likes the strawberry cheesecake at Mike's Pastries.

Sweets are nice, but Doherty admits she's there to play, not party in Boston.

"I have really high expectations," she said. "It's only four games in and we have played so well together. We're so young and really are stepping up. We know what we have to do."

She had the same attitude at Sachem and that ended with a championship. The folks in Chestnut Hill, Mass. might be cutting down the nets soon enough.