By: Derek Cordon – Recaps, Recaps and Recaps
The Holliston Youth Basketball season has officially come to an end. Thank you to everyone involved. Have a great off season.
We had 3 Holliston teams continue to play after last week’s recaps. Here is how they fared…
Girls’ 5th Grade (Red)
The Holliston 5th grade girls (Red) team took on Raynham in the 5th grade girls final four at Danas Barros basketball facility on Friday night. Raynham came out ready to play against Holliston and jumped out to an early 9-2 lead after the 1st quarter. Raynham looked like they were going to pull away, but with 2 mins left in the 1st half Holliston’s full court press pulled the lead back to 7 after scoring 3 unanswered baskets. Raynham looked nervous, but quickly recovered in the 3rd quarter despite Addy McAdams ripping a rebound, heading to the corner to swish a buzzer beating 3 pointer as the clock went to zero. Holliston continued to battle in the 4th quarter, however, Raynham sealed the 28-19 win over the Panthers. Addy McAdams led the team with 7 points, 4 rebounds and had 2 steals. Avery Palma continued her excellent play with 4 points, a team high 5 steals and 3 rebounds. Ella Bennett finished with 4 points, 3 rebounds and 2 steals. Louisa Bigelow once again filled the stat sheet with 2 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals and an assist. Mia Malvey added 2 points to go alone with 2 rebounds, a steal and an assist. All the girls give it their full effort and almost came away with the win.
Despite the loss the girls managed 13 victories on the season – their highest total for any season yet – okay there have been only 2 years. The coaches, Kate Malvey and Scott McAdams, would like to thank the parents, volunteers and especially the amazing players – Emily Spurway, Sophya Teixeira, Avery Palma, Lindsay Haynes, Louisa Bigelow, Mia Malvey, Audrey Mancuso, Addy McAdams, Ella Bennett and Chloe Roche for all their hard work, effort and being such great teammates. Holliston girls’ basketball has a bright future with such great players and kids.
Girls’ 5th Grade (White)
The Holliston 5th grade girls (White) team faced Somerville in the championship round of the playoffs Friday night. The gym was packed with fans cheering for both teams. Holliston started out strong with their classic fast-paced game. Stella Alexis and Anna Walsh had two steals in the first quarter. Lindsay Walsh, who had been a quiet player this year, came out of nowhere with her offensive rebounds and shot attempts. By the second quarter Somerville was showing signs of worry and was getting into foul trouble. Aahana Kulkarni went to the line three times contributing to Holliston’s small lead in the first half.
The second half started out almost the same as the first. Holliston came out with energy. Jackie Schiavoni scored off an offensive rebound, and Danika DoRosario continued to push her full-court layups hoping to tire out the Somerville team. But Somerville’s star player, number 4, was not backing down. She was able drive the lanes and had long range jump shots. On the defensive side Reese Leverone and Izzy Napoli stuck to their players to deny the ball. Despite Somerville’s lead in the fourth quarter, Holliston never gave up. Both teams were getting physical. Gwen Miranda jumped and fought over Somerville for rebounds even getting thrown to the floor. Holliston pressed Somerville in the last few minutes causing two turnovers, but it was not enough to come back from the 20-point lead. Holliston lost 34-14, but ended their season with their heads held high.
Boys’ 8th Grade
The Holliston 8th grade boys’ team advanced to the 3rd round of the playoffs to face the #1 seed, Walpole after defeating Franklin and Ashland. Walpole started fast with an intense trapping defense and jumped out to a 15-0 lead. The 8th grade boys have rallied many times over the last few seasons and once again came together as a team to cut into the lead. The Panthers used their team defense approach which led to baskets from Ethan Suhajda, Jonathan Casey, Jack McDonald, and two 3-pointers from Luke McHugh to cut the lead to 3 points. The Panthers continued to keep the game close throughout the second half. Both teams increased their defensive pressure which made scoring difficult for both teams. However, the foul situation was in Walpole’s favor and Walpole connected on free throws while in the double bonus to pull away late in the 4th quarter. The final score was 45-39 Walpole. Jack McDonald led the Panthers with 17 points, Ethan Suhajda had 12 points, and Luke McHugh finished with 9 points for Holliston.
