NORTH ADAMS -- With the clock running out, South Hadley put the ball in the hands of their best 3-point shooter.
The Drury girls' basketball team countered by assigning its best player to guard South Hadley's Kara Callahan.
Danielle Racette won the battle, emphatically swatting Callahan's 3-point shot away. The block sealed the game and the No. 1 Blue Devils held off No. 8 South Hadley, 54-51 in the Western Massachusetts Division II quarterfinals.
"I just went straight up when she got the ball," Racette said. "I knew she was going up with it. I just wanted that [block]."
Racette was assigned to guard Callahan all game. Callahan finished with just four points in the contest.
"Our defense in the last three minutes was fantastic," Drury coach John Franzoni said. "Danielle's block at the end obviously highlights that."
"I thought we did everything we wanted to do," South Hadley coach Paul Dubuc said. "Then their best player made the best play of the night. She just whacked that 3 away."
That wasn't Racette's only big play of the game. South Hadley's Megan Lynes banked in a 3-pointer with 2:27 to play to give the Tigers a 51-48 lead. That was the last time South Hadley scored.
Two possessions later Racette
"I didn't want to rush any shots, but I was wide open," Racette said. "We were down by three and that's a shot I can make. I just flicked it up and it went. I think that was the emotional charge we needed."
The Blue Devils forced a quick steal and Racette dished the ball to Shannon Garvey who fired a shot from the foul-line to give her team the lead.
The victory gets the Blue Devils past the quarterfinals for the first time since 2007. They will return to the Curry Hicks Cage on the Campus of UMass-Amherst for the semifinals.
"I've been playing on this team since I was a freshman," Garvey said. "Since freshman year, we always got stopped. But in senior year we are going to the Cage. That's just so awesome."
It was the senior trio of Racette, Garvey and Tatro who led the way for Drury. Racette finished with a game-high 17 points. Garvey had 12 and Tatro chipped in 13 points.
Kelly Pouliot led South Hadley with 14 points. Meghan Ginley had 13 and Megan Lynes had nine -- all in the fourth quarter.
"Our girls came out strong and to the hoop and played well," South Hadley coach Paul Dubuc said. "I really can't say enough about Racette. ... Their big players made big plays when they needed them. That's why they won."
South Hadley's up-tempo and even chaotic style gave the Blue Devils fits for much of the game. Drury opened an early lead, but South Hadley chipped away and never was out of it.
It was Racette's all-around play that held Drury in the game and allowed them to escape with the victory.
"A lot of players are defined by how many points they score," Franzoni said. "That's not how you define Danielle. She's a great player on both ends of the floor. The great thing about her is she is better defensively."
Freshman Olivia Carlson also made huge plays for the Blue Devils. She finished with five points, including a pressure free throw in the final minute to make the spread three.
She played more minutes because Emily Moulton got into foul trouble. Carlson was able to help the Blue Devils control the boards and control the tempo late.
"It's such a relief for me and Emily. I know that if I get into trouble, we have strong players coming off the bench," Garvey said. "We have [Olivia] and she doesn't play like a freshman."
The Blue Devils will now await the Winner of Saturday's Belchertown vs. Wahconah game.
To reach Sam Monroe, email smonroe@thetranscript.com.
On Twitter:@NAT_DitigalSam
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