Westfield’s Keri Paton attempts to dish the ball off to a teammate as the Ludlow defense collapses around her Tuesday night. (Photo by Chris Putz)
LUDLOW – The Westfield High School girls’ basketball team moved another step closer to the postseason’s front door. The Bombers knocked down the host Ludlow Lions, 45-41, Tuesday night to improve to 7-8 overall, 4-1 league.
Westfield outscored Ludlow 12-2 in the first quarter, went on a 19-2 run over the game’s first 10 minutes, and cruised the rest of the way. The Bombers led by as many as 20 points early in the fourth quarter before the Lions closed the gap late.
“We’re finally starting to play defense,” Westfield coach Ralph Loos said. “We worked a different zone into our game. It gives us another defensive weapon.”
Keri Paton (12 points), Alexa Morin (11 rebounds, 8 points), and Karly Mastello (9 rebounds, 6 points) proved to be the dagger from which Ludlow could not recover.
After Westfield put together a 23-10 halftime lead, Ludlow attempted to cut the deficit to single digits in the third quarter only to be turned back each time.
Ludlow’s Alyssa Guyon cut the lead to 11 three times early in the second half, but a 2-pointer from Alicia Arnold, a putback from Morin, and a pair of free throws from Kaleigh Kennedy provided Westfield with a larger cushion.
Kim McCarthy responded with a 2 for Ludlow with less than two minutes remaining in the third quarter, but again, Kennedy widened the gap, this time with a low-post basket. An and-one from Mastello in the waning seconds of the quarter to make it 34-19.
Morin hit another putback early in the fourth quarter, and Beka Santiago (6 points) followed with a 3 to give Westfield a 39-19 advantage.
Westfield may have held a 20-point lead, but Ludlow took advantage of the foul situation – the Bombers committed their seventh foul late in the third quarter – and looked to their leader, Guyon.
Guyon scored eight points in the fourth quarter to finish with a game-high 14. Ludlow made seven trips to the foul line in the final quarter, and made 7-of-13 free throws during that stretch. Westfield was just 1-of-5 from the charity stripe in the final 1:57.
Lexi Minicucci (5 points) and Alicia Arnold (4) also scored for the Bombers.
“We had a good game plan,” Paton said. “We were really focused.”
Westfield will turn its attention toward the Falcons. The Bombers will play at Minnechaug High Friday night at 7.
Commerce 52, St. Mary 18
WESTFIELD – Commerce’s 33-7 run over the second and third quarters proved to be the difference. The two teams were tied 8-8 after the first quarter, and each scored four points in the fourth.
Tessa Kielbasa led St. Mary with five points. Karissa Foley had four.
The Saints were coming off a 33-13 loss to Pioneer Valley Christian School. In that game, Elizabeth Lincoln led STM with six.
