Westford Academy Girls’ Basketball decimated Wayland High School 52-20 in their second Dual County League (DCL) match of the season on Friday, Jan. 9, advancing their season record to 2-0.
The Ghosts were an unstoppable force across all four quarters of the game while Wayland remained unable to keep up with WA’s momentum and effective communication. Their win on Friday follows a similarly assertive victory during their first DCL meet, setting the team up with an optimistic start to their season.
“I think we worked well as a team,” senior captain Olivia Pillsbury said. “We talked a lot, and going into the game, we practiced a lot of new plays and I think they all worked very well.”
From the first few seconds of the game, WA wasted no time in gaining possession of the ball and circumventing Wayland’s defense. Before her opponent could react to the possession, sophomore Grace Trahan received the ball and sent a smooth three-pointer through the net without hesitation.
Wayland players were able to snag possession, but had barely approached WA’s net when the Ghosts regained the ball and drove it to Wayland’s net where Trahan took another successful shot from the three-point line. Thus, within the first few minutes of the game, WA already had a sizable 6-0 lead and showed no signs of slowing down.
“Our full court press helped us pull away in the beginning of the game,” Trahan said. “We also did a nice job scoring from all places on the court as we were able to get the ball into the post and hit outside shots.”
WA’s energy and aggressive plays were immediately overwhelming, preventing Wayland from scoring. However, a foul provided Wayland with two free throws which allowed them to close the Ghosts’ lead to a slightly narrower 6-2.
Following the free throws and a brief timeout, the Ghosts continued leading the game with senior captain Kaitlyn Pepin and sophomore Phoenix Philbrick directing the offense. For the remaining duration of the first quarter, Pepin, Philbrick, and other offensive players were able to toss in multiple layups, extending WA’s lead to 12-2. With one successful free throw from Pillsbury, the first quarter came to an end 13-2 in favor of WA.
Although the first quarter was an undoubtedly strong start for the Ghosts, their technical skills and effective communication carried over and were on full display in the second quarter. Senior captain Maddie Smith consistently kept the ball out of Wayland’s possession and controlled the fluid passing that dismantled Wayland’s defense and opened numerous scoring opportunities.
The Ghosts’ offense continued to make compelling plays that allowed for consistent layups nearly every time they approached Wayland’s net, making the score 27-2.
WA’s defense were just as integral due to Pepin, Pillsbury, and senior Brooke Nielsen quickly blocking every Wayland attempt at a shot. Defensive players would instantly surround any Wayland offensive member that had possession of the ball and block out all view of the net or other players, completely eliminating any opportunity to score.
“[We won] through talking I think,” Pillsbury said. “We’re a good team on and off the court. We’re all friends, so I think having that relationship really helps us out.”
The combination of the inescapable wall posed by defense and the hammering of offense, bolstered by junior Keira Ash and senior Hannah Lupien, allowed the Ghosts to create a 27-point lead while Wayland struggled to match their speed.
Through a couple more free throws, Wayland was able to gain a few points. But with the score at 33-6, WA had crushed any hope for an even match going into halftime.
The third quarter marked a shift in energy level for WA. While the team still utilized their prior techniques to prevent their lead from shrinking, their speed and aggressiveness had mellowed out to a trackable pace.
As the Ghosts entered a routine of stealing, passing, and scoring, Wayland was able to approach WA’s energy with a noticeable improvement in offense and defense. While WA’s point gains did slow, they were still able to maintain a substantial lead with a score of 40-10 midway through the third quarter. Wayland called a timeout and reentered the court to end the quarter with two layups and a score of 42-14.
Despite a full lineup change in the fourth quarter, WA remained steady with their plays and scoring. Senior Saanvi Jha and sophomore Reese Nielsen led the Ghosts in accumulating several more layups while junior Lizzie Boucher initiated multiple steals.
Wayland called a timeout late in the final quarter, but with the writing already on the wall, Wayland was able to earn a few more layups before the game concluded with an indisputable 52-20 victory for the Ghosts.
In spite of the significant win, the team remains focused on improving and sharpening their skills in preparation for the DCL championship.
“Going forward with the season we’re anticipating some tough games ahead so we need to stay disciplined and take care of the ball really well offensively,” Trahan said.
WA Girls’ Basketball’s next game will be away against Shrewsbury High School at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 13.
