EMMA SHINNEY led all scorers with 20 points including three 3-pointers to lead the Warriors in a 30-point road victory in their season-opener against Wilmington. (Dan Pawlowski Photo)
By DAN PAWLOWSKI
WILMINGTON — This just in: high school basketball is better with fans.
Playing in their first December game since 2019, the Wakefield High girls’ basketball team started their season off with a convincing 30-point victory (59-29) on the road against Wilmington last night.
Fueled by competing in front of fans after last season’s 10-game, empty gym/state tournament-less season, the Warriors outscored the Wildcats 32-12 in the second half.
“We were so excited to get out here today. It’s still not 100 percent normal but it’s definitely better than last year,” said head coach Jason Pavey who got a win to kick off his 5th season at the helm. “I think they were excited to see their families here. I was really proud of the effort they had and to be able to show that to their families and friends was awesome.”
Wakefield was led by junior captain Emma Shinney’s 20 points. The point guard had her jumper locked in during a 13-point second half including back-to-back 4th quarter 3’s to push Wakefield’s lead to an insurmountable 55-23 advantage.
Senior captain Ashlee Purcell had 14 points and led a defensive effort that forced plenty of turnovers and made life difficult for Wilmington’s ball-handlers, thanks in large part to a relentless full court press.
ASHLEE PURCELL drives to the hoop while head coach Jason Pavey and the Warrior bench looks on. Purcell had 14 points in a 59-29 victory over Wilmington last night. (Dan Pawlowski Photo)
“It came down to that defensive effort,” said Pavey. “Even on off shooting nights, if we can hold a team to under 30 points, we can be off and still be in the game so we just kept telling them, ‘wear them down.’
“Tonight, we ran 13 deep so we went full court on everything. We asked our kids to empty the tank for two, three minutes, get a sub and come back out. I think that showed in the second half.”
It showed in the box score too as Wakefield had 10 different players score. Freshman Aliza Margolis had 8 points including two 3-pointers; sophomore Emma Quinn had 5 points and senior captain Sophie Brown, senior Emma Greatorex, junior Sydney Lombardi, sophomores Emma Quinn and Savannah Cummings and freshmen Shea Suntken and Brooklyn Calder each had 2 points.
The Warriors and Wildcats played a close first quarter that ended with a 12-8 Wakefield lead. Purcell fittingly started the season with a vintage steal and a coast-to-coast bucket, something the fourth-year varsity guard has done consistently throughout her career. The Warriors held Wilmington to 3 points in the first five minutes but the home team got into a little rhythm and kept the game within reach, something that continued in the second quarter as Wakefield entered the break up 27-17.
Shinney started to get it going in that second frame, a stop-and-pop mid ranger and a step-back triple pushing the lead to 17-12. She also kept her teammates involved with a couple assists, first to Margolis on a nice bounce pass and later with a drop off to Purcell who drove and finished after a quick euro step.
Perhaps recognizing Wakefield’s depth and persistent energy, the Wildcats took their time during the halftime break, a little too long as the Warrior starters waited on the court before the Cats finally came back out of the locker room. That resulted in a delay of game, a technical foul and a free point at the line for Shinney.
Brown and Purcell, who have been key parts of the Warrior backcourt since their freshman season, connected to push the lead to 13; Purcell found Quinn for a layup, Shinney hit an elbow jumper and Purcell finished the 3rd with another layup to make it 38-21 after three.
Wakefield officially wore the Wildcats down in the 4th, which they won by a score of 21-8 led by Shinney who had 8 in the quarter. Wakefield’s defense allowed its offense to reach another level with strong drives by the guards along with Calder and Suntken, combined with outside shooting from Shinney and Margolis. After a slow-shooting first half, Wakefield proved what they are capable of offensively in the second half.
“Making shots takes care of a lot of problems,” said Pavey. “I felt like in the first half, we were getting a lot of good looks, we just weren’t knocking them down. I thought both halves, we took care of the ball it was just trying to finish off the possessions with points. We knew it was a matter of time if we kept getting those looks because we have kids who can make shots.”
And so, finally back in front of friends and family, the Warriors got to celebrate their first victory of the 2021-22 season as a community.
Wakefield will play an 18-game regular season, their next being a huge rivalry matchup against Melrose at home this Friday night at 5:30 p.m.
