Gateway’s Grace VanBuren (35) attempts to get a shot off as the Mount Everett defense
swarms the ball in tournament action Tuesday night. (Photo by Chris Putz)
SHEFFIELD – And just like that, in a blink of an eye, the postseason for area hoops teams came to a screeching halt.
Our coverage area’s last great hope, Gateway, fell in a West Division 4 girls basketball tournament opener at Mount Everett. The No. 4 Eagles downed the 13th seeded Gators 51-20.
Mount Everett flexed its collective muscle, racing out to a commanding 17-0 lead after one quarter, a 27-8 halftime advantage, and a 43-14 lead heading into the final quarter.
Gwendolyn Carpenter led the way for Mount Everett, draining three 3-pointers en route to a game-high 20 points. Eagles’ Madison Ullrich and Mackenzie Ullrich finished with nine points apiece.
Gateway’s Lily Waters scored a team-high eight points. Becca Herman had six for the Gators.
FROM THE COURTS TO THE RINK: High school playoff hockey arrives Wednesday when the Longmeadow (Westfield Co-Op) team hosts No. 26 Brookline (11-9-2) in a Division 4 girls ice hockey preliminary round game at the Olympia Ice Center in West Springfield at 4 p.m.
Longmeadow is seeded seventh at 11-2.
The Westfield boys ice hockey team takes center stage Thursday in a D3 semifinal at the Olympia at 8 p.m. The third-seeded Bombers finished the regular season with a record of 11-7-2. They will battle the No. 2 Minnechaug Falcons (11-6-3).
