Warriors are 7-0 to start the season
SENIOR CO-CAPTAIN Olivia Dziadyk tees up a three in front of the Red Sea. Dziadyk’s scoring and defense has played a major role during Wakefield’s 7-0 start to the season. (Donna Larsson Photo)
Published in the January 9, 2018 edition.
By DAN BYRNE
WAKEFIELD – The snowstorm on Thursday pushed the Wakefield Memorial High School girls’ varsity basketball matchup with Watertown, originally scheduled for Friday, to be played on Sunday afternoon.
Wakefield came in rolling, having won six straight games. Watertown didn’t provide much competition as the Warriors jumped out to a big lead in the first quarter and never looked back, claiming a 61-22 victory to improve their record to 7-0.
Warriors’ first year head coach Jason Pavey spoke following his team’s most recent win.
“I was kind of nervous with a couple snow days and not practicing,” he said. “But I give the seniors a lot of credit to come out here and go 100 miles an hour from the jump, so it was a really good win today.”
The Warriors opened the game on a 10-2 run as their full court press caused problems for Watertown’s ball handlers. Wakefield opened with an offensive explosion, stepping out to a 20-4 lead after the first quarter.
Allee Purcell scored 8 of her game high 14 points and Ally Coggswell scored 6 of her 12 points in the first quarter.
“We set the tone in the first four minutes,” the coach said. “I was really happy with our energy level, our intensity level, and right from the jump we got out to a quick lead. That was all based on our defense.”
Wakefield scored the ball well in the second quarter too, as they began with a 10-0 run to make it 30-4. At the end of a 17-point second quarter, the Warriors led by a score of 34-6. Olivia Dziadyk was all over the floor for the Warriors, putting up 8 of her 12 points in the 2nd quarter.
The Warriors’ defense was suffocating Watertown’s offense and only allowed two points in the quarter.
Wakefield came out and put up 17 more points in the 3rd quarter as Hannah Dziadyk put 5 of her 9 points up just after halftime. Hannah Butler also chipped in with all 4 of her points coming in the third quarter.
Wakefield’s unrelenting defensive pressure forced Watertown into 25 turnovers through the first three quarters.
When asked if he thought going into the game that his defensive scheme would work so flawlessly, Pavey said, “We know that they’re a young team, but over the last couple of practices we’d been working a lot on our defensive pressure and giving teams different looks.”
Watertown managed just one field goal in the third quarter, and added three free-throws as they found themselves in a big deficit on the road at 54-12 heading into the fourth quarter.
“We’re a tough team to beat if we come with that type of energy level and mindset on the defensive end,” the coach said of his team’s defensive showing.
Wakefield rotated their squad a bit in the fourth quarter with the game well in hand. Nicole Catino, Winnie Mylan, and Jaime Greatorex all had baskets in the fourth for the Warriors, as they cruised to a 61-22 victory.
With their 7th win of the season, the Warriors remain undefeated heading into their first matchup with Wilmington on Tuesday.
As coach Pavey reminded his team, they stood in the same spot a year ago when they fell to the Wildcats on the road.
“We’re excited,” he said, “We’re in the same spot we were in last year, same record, going up against the same team, definitely want a different result. They knocked us off last year, it’s going to be fun.”
