Top-ranked Hoosac Valley girls capture Class D crown with Western Mass. championship win over No. 2 Lee

 

NORTH ADAMS — It was nearly three years ago when Hoosac Valley's Averie McGrath captured her first Western Massachusetts championship following a win over Greenfield. 

 

 

Fast-forward to Saturday at MCLA, where McGrath, now a senior captain, scored a team-high 17 points, guiding a new wave of Hurricanes to that sweet taste of success. 

 

The Hoosac Valley girls celebrate their 60-41 win over Lee in the Western Mass. Class D girls basketball championship, which was held in the Amsler Campus Center Gymnasium on Saturday.  GILLIAN JONES — THE BERKSHIRE EAGLE

 

McGrath and the top-seeded Hoosac Valley girls defeated No. 2 Lee 61-40, winning the inaugural PVIAC Western Mass. Class D championship. 

 

"It was very surreal," McGrath said of hoisting her third Western Mass. trophy. "I've been here before and I am so happy the little ones got to experience this — everyone was so excited and it was a special moment." 

 

McGrath and Rylynn Witek did most of the damage early with 11-straight points and it started with some window shopping. McGrath tossed two shots from beyond the arc and they both hit the glass — before dropping through and spotting Hoosac Valley a 6-2 lead. 

 

Witek nailed two elbow jumpers before earning a trip to the line for her efforts on the glass. Hoosac led 11-4 after four minutes of action and Taylor Garabedian was ready to keep the pedal to the metal. 

 

Garabedian, Hoosac's first player off the bench, hauled in an offensive rebound and found Alyssa Garabedian for two points. 

 

"We all look for the open shot," McGrath said. "There is always a better shot. Driving and kicking the ball out, in-and-out works wonders." 

 

The Hurricanes registered an assist on 16 of 23 field goals and Taylor Garabedian, showcasing her inside-out style of distributing the ball, led the way with five dimes to go with eight points and eight rebounds.

 

"Taylor is a unique player because she can do so many different things on the court," Hoosac Valley coach Holly McGovern said. "Her ability to handle the basketball and create passing lanes for other players, overall she does a nice job and we've been getting some easier looks within the post, but we can certainly bring her out to the wing." 

 

Gabby Billetz and Ashlyn Lesure made their presence known in the second quarter as Billetz, Hoosac's center, popped the ball out to Lesure for her first of three treys, giving Hoosac a 24-13 lead. 

Lesure finished with 13 points and three assists. Her six-point second quarter helped Hoosac maintain a healthy lead for most of the first half. 

 

With that in mind, the Wildcats cut Hoosac's lead to eight midway through the frame after Caroline Maloney knocked down a 3-point shot. 

 

Lee was without its top scorer in Emma Puleri, who averages 15 points per game, due to injury and Maloney did what she could to pump points into the scoresheet. 

 

The senior cut Hoosac's lead back down to 10 with three minutes left in the third quarter with a pair at the stripe, scoring six of her game-high 20 points in the frame. 

 

Hoosac, though, featured too much firepower for Lee to get into striking distance. Lesure lunged to the ground for an offensive rebound and got the ball to Taylor Garabedian in the paint for the old-fashioned 3-point play and a 39-26 advantage.

 

Witek marched the Hurricanes to the finish line with 11 points in the fourth quarter and closed with 16 points and five rebounds. Billetz brought in six rebounds and provided Hoosac with a last line of defense that consistently altered what the Wildcats wanted to accomplish in the paint. 

 

Mia Puleri, Ari Hall and Brianna Kelly each had six points for Lee. Kelly and Mia Puleri each had six rebounds.

 

Most tournament runs are "win or go home," but that is no longer the case with the Western Mass. tournament. The Pioneer Valley Interscholastic Athletic Conference built two "playoff" games into the regular season schedule. 

 

Additionally, the championship bout specifically impacts trophy cases, not necessarily the state tournament, as it is considered an MIAA exemption game.

 

With that being said, the Western Mass. title is far more valuable than a mark in the win column, according to the Hurricanes. 

 

"It's certainly a positive experience because players tend to change a little bit and it is nice to see how the team reacts going into intense games, especially moving on to the state tournament," McGovern said.

 

Speaking of, each of these teams earned byes in the Preliminary Round of the Division V state tournament.

 

Hoosac Valley, the bracket's top seed, will play the winner of No. 32 Mount Everett and No. 33 Old Colony in the Round of 32, which is currently scheduled for next Friday.

 

Lee, which will enter the D-V tournament ranked No. 6, will play the winner of No. 27 Granby and No. 38 Minuteman, also currently slated for Friday. 

 

"100 percent," McGrath said when asked if the championship helped Hoosac build confidence moving forward. "I don't think anyone else [on this team] has played here, it was a great stepping stone, for sure." 

 

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