WESTFIELD – Westfield Technical Academy rallied from a huge deficit to within one point of Hampden Charter midway through the second half of a high school boys’ basketball game Thursday, but failed to get over the hump. HCSS came away with a 60-53 win.
“Our guys admitted they weren’t ready to play at the start of the game,” Westfield Tech coach Kyle Dulude said. “We just couldn’t find the flow.”
Still, five different players scored at least eight points apiece (Vlad Biley, 11; Luis Ruiz, 9; Tim Shevchenko, 9; Tyler Starzyk, 7; Andrew Czerechma, 6; Mark Klyuchits, 6).
Westfield Tech will play its third game in three days when it travels to Franklin Tech Friday. The Tigers will need to win to avoid elimination from the postseason chase.
“If there is any magic out there, we need to find it quick,” coach Dulude said.
Westfield Tech will also need to stop the Tri-County’s leading scorer, Colin Gould.
Bernard, Bombers post stunner
Westfield 76, Chicopee 72
Rodney Bernard scored a game-high 22 points – Chicopee’s Terrell Homes also netted 22 – and Westfield stunned host Chicopee.
Kam Wells (13 points), Gabe Piepergerdes (12), Javi Santos (9), and Aidan Dunn (8) also contributed key baskets in Westfield’s road victory.
“It was a tough, well fought game by both teams,” Westfield coach Joshua Balestracci said.
Butler nets game-high
Pioneer Valley Christian 53, St. Mary 39
Pioneer Valley Christian pulled away with a 22-8, fourth quarter at Westfield Middle School South. Steven Sansouci scored 13 points, and Miguel Lugo had 12.
“We just sort of ran out of gas in the fourth quarter, and didn’t execute the way we needed to execute, but we played as hard as we could for 24 minutes,” St. Mary coach Joe Molta said.
St. Mary’s Jake Butler led all scorers with 16. Saints’ Andrew Illnicki had eight.
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
White, Rams prevail
Southwick 52, Pope Francis 42
McKinley White led the way for Southwick with 19 points. Rams’ Makenzie Sullivan chipped in 11.
Donais leads STM in defeat
Smith Vocational 43, St. Mary 24
Sydney Cyr scored a game-high 18 points, and Smith Voke won at Westfield Middle School North.
St. Mary’s Madie Donais finished with a team-high 11.
Water, Gators chomp competition
Gateway 44, Hampden Charter School of Science 10
Gateway raced out to a 10-0 lead and never looked back. The Gators put together a well-balanced attack with Lilly Waters (8 points) leading the way. Grace Van Buren and Bryanna Fellows each had six.
Dayna Rodriguez scored all 10 points for HCSS.
GIRLS’ SWIMMING
Pease, Bombers end on high note
Westfield 97, Belchertown 85
Emilie Pease won two events – the 50 freestyle (27.22) and 100 backstroke (1:04.19) – to lead Westfield at home. It was the Bombers’ final meet of the regular season.
Lizzie Fraser (200 IM, 2:24.29), Britney Noah (diving, 148.1), Rachel Charette (100 free, 57.86), and the 200 free relay team of Pease, Chloe Schumacher, Fraser, and Charette (1:50.20) each also claimed victory.
Fraser also came in second in the breaststroke with a time of 1:14.31, a state Division 1 qualifying time.
BOYS’ SWIMMING
Bombers win thriller
Westfield 94, Belchertown 82
Matt Morash (200 free, 1:56.72), Kevin Hayes (diving, 197.9), Nick Rosso (100 fly, 55.55), Cole Viamari (500 free, 5:17.55), and Patrick Lurgio (100 breaststroke, 1:09.72) each won an event to lead Westfield in its final home meet of the regular season.
Westfield placed first in each of the three relays – 200 medley (Tommy Russell, Lurgio, Rosso, Jack Beaulieu), 200 free (Morash, Rosso, Viamari, Russell), and 400 free (Morash, Beaulieu, Lurgio, Viamari) – with times of 1:45.33, 1:36.13, and 3:36.31, respectively.
“It was a rather exciting meet to end the season with,” Westfield coach Tom Lewis said.
Next up for the Westfield swim team: Western Massachusetts, Feb. 11, at Springfield College.
JV GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
Southwick 33, Pope Francis 6
Southwick’s Grace Coon and Isabella Poules had a great game with four points apiece.
