PITTSFIELD -- Emily Rosse's 3-point play with six minutes to play ignited a furious run by the Hoosac Valley girls' basketball team.
Hoosac scored 20 points in the fourth quarter to re-establish a lead and take a 54-44 victory in the Coaches vs. Cancer Showcase.
Emily Rosse drove hard to the basket and completed a layup with a hand in her face. The foul sent her to the line and she drained the shot to tie the game. The Hurricanes went on an 11-0 run after Rosse's basket.
"I thought it was a big play, I think we were down three and she makes that to tie it," Hoosac coach Ron Wojcik said. "It gave us energy after that. We got a couple of steals and then Jen [Gale] hits a couple of big threes and then the game is much more wide open."
Rosse finished the game with nine points. Gale scored 14 points for the Hurricanes, as did Rodowicz.
Lenox's Hayden Zinchuk led the way for the Millionaires, scoring a game-high 17 points.
Hoosac's defense held Lenox to just five points in the second quarter and built a nine-point halftime lead. But Lenox was able to turn the tables on the Hurricanes.
Hoosac scored just five points in the third quarter while Lenox netted 15 and took the lead.
"With the defense that we play, you need to bring the energy," Wojcik said. "If we let down at all, especially against a good team like Lenox, they're going to pick you apart pass by pass."
That is exactly what
"I really don't think we had the intensity or the energy early in the third quarter," Wojcik said. "We weren't aggressive offensively either, and when that happens you're back on your heals letting them come at you."
Both Lenox and Hoosac play an up-tempo defense. Hoosac was able to take advantage of the fast-paced style in the fourth. The ability to play inside the paint and outside the arch gives Hoosac a slight advantage.
The Hurricanes shot seven 3-pointers, but also found a way to get to the basket and get foul shots by charging hard to the hoop.
"Jen has been on fire lately," Wojcik said. "It's nice to have the inside-out game. With Emily down low, she really takes the focus down there and opens things up for Jen and Meg on the outside."
Drury girls' basketball
PITTSFIELD -- Wahconah had an answer for everything Drury did on Saturday.
Every time Drury attempted to make a run, Wahconah answered on its way to a 45-34 win.
The Warriors started well going on a 9-1 run to start the game, but just like every other run, Drury answered.
"Drury is pretty good at that," Wahconah June Blake said. "Especially coming out of time outs when things aren't going their way. They really push up and pressure and become more aggressive. We were really able to weather the storm and hang on at the end."
Gabby Lavinio paced the Warriors with a game-high 15 points. Her biggest shot came early in the fourth quarter, a long 3-pointer that put an end to a Drury run. The Blue Devils were not able to find an answer following that shot.
"She had that really big 3-pointer in the fourth quarter that was just huge for her and us," Blake said.
Shannon Garvey led the way for the Blue Devils with 12 points and Danielle Racette added 10. Aside from Garvey and Racette, the offense wasn't able to get going for Drury.
More importantly, the defense struggled to find answers for Lavinio and Maddie Sprague who had 10 points.
"We know we need to be tougher in order to win these types of games," Drury coach John Franzoni said. "And we didn't play our best game. Give Wahconah credit, they did a good job."
Ali Tatro and Shannon Garvey each added nine rebounds.
Greylock girls' basketball
PITTSFIELD -- Lucy Barrett was held scoreless in the first quarter and Mount Greylock had just a one-point lead over St. Joseph's.
Barrett wouldn't be held off the board for long. She exploded for 12 points in the second quarter and led the Mounties to a 62-27 victory in the Coaches vs. Cancer Showcase. Barrett scored a game-high 19 points.
"She's been struggling a little bit, missing some layups and that kind of stuff," Greylock coach Paul Barrett said. "So it was good to see. There was a lid on it early and once that sort of came off it was nice to have that output."
Barrett's spree was started early in the second quarter when she was sent to the foul line. She hit both shots. She didn't miss a single shot from the free-throw line and was also good from behind the arch.
She hit two 3-pointers on the day.
It wasn't just Barrett who exploded in the second. The entire Mountie roster seemed to go off. Greylock nearly outscored St. Joseph's total in the second alone. The Mounties scored 25 points in the second frame. Margot Besnard scored five points and Arianna Walden added four to keep the balanced scoring going. Walden finished with eight points and Besnard also had eight on the day.
"I just think we came out stronger," Lucy Barrett said. "Everyone started moving and we got a lot of transition baskets. Our pressure really helped us, as well."
Kendall Smith led the way for St. Joseph's. She scored eight points.
She was a force in the first-half. She scored six of her points and recorded 13 rebounds in the half. She scored just once and had just two rebounds in the second half.
"We really don't have anyone that can sort of matchup with her," Paul Barrett said. "Heather [Tomkowicz] was giving it her best."
Tomkowicz and Besnard switched off on Smith for much of the game, but both quickly got into foul trouble. It ended up not hurting the Mounties, as Smith was 0 for 6 from the free-throw line.
St. Joseph's didn't have a single player in double figures, and failed to score more than eight points in any quarter. The Mounties saw solid production from the entire roster. Mackenzie Flynn had 11 points and Cheyanne Alcombright added 10 points off the bench for the Mounties.
It was the transition game that was working for the Mounties.
Barrett, Flynn and Besnard turned fast breaks into 3-point plays several times as they were fouled, but still found a way to complete the layup.
"When my shots weren't falling, all the other girls were finishing and that's great for us." Lucy Barrett said.
It's a big improvement for the Mounties, who lost to St. Joseph's 50-33 on Jan. 8.
"They're getting there," Paul Barrett said. "We're just looking for that improve every game and every day. Rebounding-wise and shooting-wise we've improved, but we still have to get better."
McCann girls' basketball
PITTSFIELD -- It started well for the McCann Tech girls' basketball team.
The Hornets ran out to a quick 7-0 lead against Mount Everett in the first game of the Coaches vs. Cancer Showcase.
Everett found a way to erase that deficit and every other lead McCann jumped out to, and the Eagles won 40-32.
"We played a really good 22-minute game," McCann coach Mike Dowling said. "The last 10 minutes were just like... I don't even know what it was. We just kind of lost it."
McCann built a 10-point lead in the second quarter and Mount Everett slowly found a way to chip back. Mary Nguyen scored eight of her 14 points in the first half and the Hornets controlled the boards.
Eileen Zajac pulled down 13 first-half rebounds, but was able to get just three in the second half.
"They out rebounded us 30-11 in that first half," Mount Everett coach Scott Rote said. "They just had more second-chance opportunities than we did and that resulted in their lead."
Deseray Conaway caught fire in the second half. She scored 10 of her game-high 17 points in the second half. In the third quarter she knocked down two long-range 3-pointers to pace a 12-6 run over the Hornets.
Zajac added eight points for the Hornets, but the offense struggled in the final frame. The defense also had difficulties. Brooke Morehouse added 10 points for the Eagles as five players scored in the fourth quarter.
"I think the defense was lacking in the fourth quarter and that's why we lost," Dowling said.
Foul shooting helped the Eagles put the game away. They went 3 for 4 from the line in the fourth quarter. In the first half, the Eagles struggled from the line. They went just 1 for 7.
Mount Everett was able to keep McCann off the foul line and prevented them from launching 3-point attempts. The Hornets didn't convert a single 3-pointer, an unusual performance.
The Eagles found a way to take Nguyen out of the game in the second half. She scored six points, but wasn't able to get the transition points the Hornets rely on.
"Mary was just hurting us in the first," Rote said. "When she can get the ball and go full court with the ball she is tough to guard. In the second we focused on face-guarding her a little more."
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