Westfield’s Sydney Ezold, left, hoists a shot in the first half against the Spartans at East Longmeadow High School on Tuesday night. (Photo by Chris Putz)
EAST LONGMEADOW – If hard work and hustle were always rewarded with victories, the Westfield High School basketball team would be 7-1 and not 1-7.
A total of ten different players scored for East Longmeadow, including 12 point from Bri Reardon, and the Spartans defeated visiting Westfield, 51-38, Tuesday night. After falling behind 30-20 at the half, the Bombers fought valiantly in an attempt to come back, but in the end fell short.
“In the first half we played atrocious defense,” said Westfield coach Ralph Loos, whose team allowed 97 points through the last six quarters. “I told the players at halftime, ‘you’ve got to hate being scored on.’”
“If we played with that energy (of the second half) in the first half, we would have won that game.”
Westfield trailed by just two points, 13-11, at the end of the first quarter. East Longmeadow (4-5) went on a 10-2 run to open the second quarter to take a 23-13 lead with 3:43 remaining in the half. Bombers’ Sydney Ezold (9 points) kept the game from slipping away, draining a 3-pointer with 2:12 left. Meg Whitney nailed a 3 for the Spartans with seven seconds left before the half.
In the third quarter, Reardon made a 3-point shot and a 2-point basket consecutively to give East Longmeadow its largest lead, 35-22, with just over four minutes remaining. Alyssa Clark (8 points) hit 3s for Westfield at the 3:43 and 2:27 marks.
Unfortunately for the Bombers, Kristen Casey made a 3 for East Longmeadow with 3:17 left, and Nalani Walker hit a shot at the buzzer to help the Spartans regain a double-digit lead entering the fourth quarter, 41-30.
Lexi Minicucci and Alicia Arnold made consecutive hoops in the fourth quarter to rally Westfield within eight, 43-35, and Cheri Johnson hit a 2 with 2:39 left to pull within 45-38. But Corina Lindsay responded with a 3 to seal the game for East Longmeadow with under two minutes remaining.
“We’ve got to scrap and do what we can to win,” said Loos, whose team was plagued with poor free throw shooting in the second half (2-of-11).
BOYS’ HOOPS
St. Mary 79, Franklin Tech 72
Four players scored in double-digits – Justin Crosby (31 points), Matt Plasse (21), Anthony Garde (13), and Sam Thresher (10) – to lead St. Mary to the key road victory.
SKIING
Westfield’s Jenna Rothermel won the slalom event in the girls’ competition at Berkshire East with a 37.84 finish, followed by Jen Moller (40.39, 6th overall), Lauren Sheehan (41.55, 10th), and Grace Giffune. Neil Sheehan (27.08, 9th overall), Michael Beaureguard (29.36), Matt Walsh (30.22), and Liam Sheehan (31.56) finished 1-4 for the Bombers’ boys on the GS.
“It was a great night overall (despite icy conditions),” said Westfield coach Monique Piotte.
Team results were not available.
GIRLS’ HOOPS
Southwick vs. Holyoke Catholic
The game was postponed due to a leak in the gymnasium.
