Top Tewksbury, host Hamilton-Wenham to win showcase
HAILEY LOVELL, a junior, was named the Patton Tournament MVP due to her effort in Wakefield’s wins over Tewksbury and Hamilton-Wenham. Lovell scored seven points against Tewksbury and 14 points against the Generals. (Donna Larsson File Photo)
Published in the February 22, 2017 edition
By DAN BYRNE
SOUTH HAMILTON — The varsity girls’ varsity basketball team from Wakefield Memorial High School wrapped up its regular season on a high note, capturing the Fourth Annual General Patton Tournament Championship hosted by Hamilton-Wenham at Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School.
Monday’s three-point victory over Tewksbury, 48-45, gave the Warriors a place in the finals where they faced tournament hosts Hamilton-Wenham. Wakefield earned its 16th win of the season as they took charge against the Generals and prevailed, 55-46, last night.
Wakefield came out cold, missing its first five shots, but then picked up the offense to outscore the Generals 10-7 at the end of the first.
Hamilton-Wenham took some time to get into the flow of the game and six Generals turnovers helped the Warriors maintain the lead in the first quarter.
Injuries and foul trouble made the front court depth thin for the Warriors.
“Julia Hanley was out with an ankle injury picked up in the Watertown game. Emma Butler and Allee Purcell picked up early fouls tonight,” Coach Meg O’Connell said as the Warriors had to go to the bench early on Tuesday night.
Warrior junior Allyson Coggswell was also involved off the bench on both ends of the court, with a steal defensively and four points in each of the first two quarters.
Coggswell, who missed nearly the first half of the season with an injury, had been playing her best ball of the season coming into the non-league tournament.
Unfortunately for the Warriors and Coggswell, she was injured on a drive to the basket late in the second quarter and was unable to return to the game.
“Ally Coggswell played a tremendous first half, she really carried us, and then she got injured,” O’Connell said.
The injury occurred to the same foot as kept her out previously, but the coach mentioned it was a different injury this time.
“She rolled her ankle this time,” O’Connell said.
That didn’t stop Wakefield as its squad’s full strength was put to the test.
“We try to focus on being the best team we can be,” the coach mentioned. “We talk to the kids a lot about working together and its always everyone’s turn. We don’t try to focus too much in any one area. When you’re open you shoot, it’s simple.”
Senior Brianna Smith subbed in for Coggswell and made one out of two free throws on a trip to the line to give the Warriors a 22-14 halftime lead. Smith finished with eight points.
Wakefield came out firing after halftime, putting 16 points up on the board and running the score to double digits.
Junior guard Hailey Lovell led the offensive attack for Wakefield, scoring six of her game high 14 in the third quarter. Lovell’s performance over the past two days, coupled with victories in each game for the Warriors, earned Lovell the honor of Tournament MVP.
Junior guard Olivia Dziadyk added five points in the third quarter. She finished with 10 points in the game. Olivia and her twin sister, Hannah, were named to the All-Tournament team following the Warrior victory.
With eight minutes remaining and a 14 point lead on the scoreboard, victory was in sight for the Warriors. They put up their best offensive performance in the fourth, with a 17 point effort. At points the lead stretched to 20 points for the Warriors.
O’Connell pulled the regulars with about a minute to go and the game well in hand. To the Generals’ credit they didn’t quit playing and managed to shrink the lead down to just nine points. But it was too little and far too late to ruin the day for Wakefield as it brought home the Patton Trophy with a 55-46 victory.
With the win, the Warriors record improves to 16-4 on the season. Coach O’Connell was excited about the win after the game.
“It’s like the cherry on top of the icing on the cake for this season,” the coach said following the win, “We finished strong. We talked a lot about wanting to take this tournament and win it. I know it has huge implications for seeding in the state tournament.
O’Connell expanded on why she was so excited to bring home this trophy.
“As a coaching staff we’ve played in a bunch of these tournaments and we’ve never won one. It’s so special to think that this team, who is the first league champion in 18 years, is also the first team to win one of these championships.”
Per usual, all of the credit from O’Connell went to the players and how they prepared.
“The kids had huge focus on execution in the practices leading up to this week,” She said. “We played a bunch of different defenses, we were able to mix up, switch it up, and adjust. I’m so proud of this team and all their accomplishments.”
As things stand, it will be a waiting game until Friday when the tournament seeds are revealed. By virtue of their performance, everyone expects the Warriors to be rewarded with at least one home game in the MIAA state tournament.
“We’re hoping for a home game,” O’Connell mentioned. “But it’s the big dance. We’re excited to get out there and play our best basketball of the season and lay it all out on the court and whatever happens happens.”
Tewksbury Game
The Warriors earned a berth in the championship game of the Patton Tournament with a 48-45 triumph over Tewksbury on Monday night at Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School.
Wakefield led 14-10 after the first quarter and 23-19 at halftime. Tewksbury outscored Wakefield, 16-10, in the third quarter to take a 35-33 lead after three periods. The Warriors outscored Tewksbury 15-10 in the final quarter as the contest was close for the entire 32 minutes.
Olivia Dziadyk led all scorers with 15 points, including three treys.
Purcell, a junior forward, was next with nine points and Lovell recorded seven.
Hannah Dziadyk, a guard, scored six points, sophomore forward Hannah Butler recorded five points, and Smith, a guard, had one basket for two points to round out the scorers.
(Daily Item Sports Editor Jim Southmayd contributed to this report).
—–
Patton Tournament
At Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School
Championship Game
WAKEFIELD 55, Hamilton-Wenham 46
—–
WAKEFIELD (55) — H. Butler 2 0 4; Smith 3 2 8; Catino 0 0 0; Coggswell 3 2 8; Lovell 6 2 14; O. Dziadyk 4 0 10; E. Butler 0 1 1; Purcell 0 5 5; Greatorex 0 0 0; H. Dziadyk 1 2 5; Mylan 0 0 0; Capitstan 0 0 0. Totals 19 14 55.
Hamilton-Wenham (46) — Shea 3 0 7; Fibbe 2 4 9; Walsh 0 1 1; Baker 1 1 3; Blatchford 3 4 12; Rivers 2 0 4; Dolan 0 1 1; Kirschner 3 0 9. Totals 14 11 46.
Score by Quarters — WAKEFIELD 10-12-16-17 — 55. Hamilton 7-7-10-22 — 46.
Three-point FGs — Wak, O.Dziadyk 2, H.Dziadyk 1. H-W, Kirschner 3, Blatchford 2, Fibbe 1, Shea 1.
—–
First Round
WAKEFIELD 48, Tewksbury 45
—–
WAKEFIELD (48) — H.Butler 2 1 5; Smith 1 0 2; Catino 0 0 0; Coggswell 0 0 0; Lovell 3 1 7; O.Dziadyk 6 0 15; E.Butler 2 0 4; Purcell 2 5 9; Greatorex 0 0 0; H.Dziadyk 3 0 6. Totals 19 7 48.
Tewksbury (45) — Doherty 0 0 0; E.Gallella 6 0 12; Mercurio 1 0 3; Picher 0 0 0; Wild 4 3 11; Garcia 1 0 2; Sureweic 0 0 0; Miorian 1 1 3; Mirobito 0 0 0; L.Gallella 5 3 14; Svendson 0 0 0; E.DeRouch 0 0 0. Totals 18 7 45.
Score by Quarters — WAKEFIELD 14-9-10-15 — 48. Tewksbury 10-9-16-10 — 45.
Three-point FGs — Wak, O.Dziadyk 3. Tew, Mercurio 1, L.Gallella 1.
