Another Metro West season is in the books. Mass Premier Courts
was a fantastic venue as usual. I took in some great games over the weekend.
Here is a recap of my observation.
-The first game I watched on Saturday was 8th
grade girls’ semi-final match-up between Milton and Foxboro.
Milton jumped out to a 24-16 halftime lead, but it was
costly as Ashley Ducharme picked up her third foul towards the end of the half.
Nicole Gallagher led Foxboro with 10 points, while Ducharme scored eight.
Ducharme sat the entire third quarter and Foxboro took full
advantage. Foxboro outscored Milton 21-10 during the quarter to put Foxboro up
37-34. The Warriors kept it rolling into the fourth quarter as they went on a
9-0 to extend the lead to 46-34. Milton had its chances, but ended up shooting
3-12 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter.
Foxboro held on to defeat Milton, 53-46. Gallagher led the
way with 22 points for Foxboro and Ashley Sampson added 10. For Milton,
Ducharme scored 14.
-My favorite boys’ team to watch this season, Needham 8th
grade boys, took the floor in the semi-final against Winchester and wasted no
time asserting their dominance. By the time I got situated to watch the game
they had already jumped out to a 10-2 lead to force a Winchester timeout. That
lead was extended to 18-2 before Needham closed out the first quarter with a
24-11 lead.
Needham turned up the defensive pressure in the second
quarter and held Winchester to just five points in that frame and took a 42-16
lead into halftime led by Brandon Monheimer’s 17 points.
Monheimer had everything working; he was raining 3-pointers,
his pull-up jumper was on point and he was unstoppable around the basket.
Needham went on to win 67-34. Monheimer scored 20 points and
sat on the bench for the final 12 minutes of the game.
-After Needham put Winchester away, I slid over to watch the
other 8th grade boys’ semi-final match-up between Newton and
Brockton. Brockton entered the fourth quarter with a 63-53 lead.
Brockton did a great job of beating Newton’s pressure and getting
to the rim, often times finishing with contact. Any run that Newton attempted
was thwarted by Brockton’s physicality and ability to score. Brockton went on
to win 81-67.
-I arrived early for the 8th grade girls group 1
championship game and was able to watch the group 2 championship between
Westwood and Brockton. In one of the most peculiar scenes I have ever witnessed
in a basketball game, Brockton’s center sprained her ankle on the opening
tip-off against Westwood’s Charlotte MacDonald – who I swear is undefeated
lifetime in jump balls.
The loss of their center hurt Brockton as Westwood was
absolutely dominant on the glass the entire game. Westwood used their size
advantage and unselfishness to win the group 2 title, 43-30.
Westwood’s Charlotte MacDonald was great doing her typical
under-the-radar things. She always made the correct extra pass, executed crisp
outlet passes and did a great job of going straight up to block or change
shots. She got whistled for three fouls just for being tall and not actually
committing a foul. I know the MPC Swish will miss having her this spring!
-There was quite a crowd for the 8th grade group
1 girl championship game between Newton and Foxboro. Family, friends,
classmates and teammates loaded up the perimeter of court two at MPC to witness
the
finale.
Foxboro took a three point lead into halftime, 21-18. Nicole
Gallagher led Foxboro with eight points and Paige Ollivierre led Newton with
six points. Newton’s Veronica Burton was held in check in the first half as
Foxboro’s Lily Sykes blanketed Newton’s top playmaker all over the court.
In the third quarter, Foxboro jumped out to a 32-24 lead and
looked like they might pull away. That’s when the game turned into the Veronica
Burton show. Newton responded with an 8-0 run to tie game at 32. Foxboro took a
2-point lead into the fourth quarter on an Ashley Sampson buzzer beat.
That lead did not last long as Veronica Burton absolutely
put the team on her back in the fourth quarter. Newton ran ball screens for her
left and right, sometimes multiple at a time that Sykes got swallowed up by
possession after possession. Burton did a great job of reading how Foxboro was
defending the screens and punished them in a variety of ways. She hit step back
three-pointers, used change-of-pace dribbles to freeze defenders then get by
them and got to the line and buried the freebies.
Newton went on to win the title, 61-56. Burton led all
scorers with 28 points. Ashley Sampson led Foxboro with 16 points and Gallagher
chipped in 13.
-Overall, the Metro West play-offs were a blast. The seeding
system is fantastic and it led to competitive games at all grades, genders and
levels.
A trend that was fun to watch was the increase of town
pride. I witnessed a lot of signs posted during games while players and parents
from other teams in the program attended games to offer support.
Congrats to all the champions.
