Westford Academy Girls’ Basketball triumphed 58-38 against Acton-Boxborough Regional High School (AB) at the Andrew James Lawson Invitational after an eight-year hiatus, advancing their season record to 3-1 at TD Garden on Sunday, Jan. 18.
This win comes after a tight match the previous Friday where WA lost to AB, their long-time rival, in a tight 37-33 game. With the defeat still weighing on their minds, the Ghosts charged the court with energy and assertiveness, effectively communicating with one another and changing their strategies based upon the counteractive plays made by AB.
“We took what we learned from Friday’s loss against AB and were able to implement [different] skills from practice to lead us to our win,” sophomore Grace Trahan said. “[…] AB has always been our rival, so it felt really nice to beat them on such a big stage.”
After the tipoff, WA quickly snagged possession of the ball and retained it for the first few minutes of the game, resisting any defensive plays made by their opponent. Sprinting toward the net, sophomore Phoenix Philbrick received the ball and swiftly sent both a two and three-pointer into the hoop mere seconds apart from each other, keeping AB off the board in an early 5-0 lead.
WA’s immediate, aggressive plays slowed any offensive moves AB could make. However, shortly after AB was able to gain points when a foul was provided with two free throws. This momentum carried AB as they continued to succeed in their plays.
In spite of their opponent’s momentum, WA was able to regain dominance after senior Hannah Lupien and senior captain Kaitlyn Pepin scored several consecutive points, ending the quarter with a score of 16-7.
“I think [our] biggest strengths were [that] we stayed locked in defensively and making smart decisions under pressure. [We] focused on the little things—communicating, hustling, and being reliable teammates,” Philbrick said.
Heading into the second quarter, both teams showed signs of a strong offensive front with AB steadily picking up on WA’s vigor from the previous period, sending two three-pointers into the net within the first few minutes.
To avoid any more successful plays made by AB’s offense, Pepin and senior captain Olivia Pillsbury continuously blocked shot attempts and moved the ball out of their opponent’s line of sight, eliminating their chances of attempting any more baskets. With this blocking technique, key offensive players such as Philbrick and Trahan were available to sprint toward the net and create a four-point lead over AB.
During the final minutes of the second quarter, both teams focused on their defensive work with major plays slowing down. Each team made one three-pointer, but WA held strong to their lead with a score of 29-25 going into halftime.
In the third quarter, WA continued to control the plays on the court with ferocity and energy. Two minutes in, they were able to score six points via a combination of layups and three-pointers from Lupien and Pepin.
“The energy in the arena was on a whole different level. […] It definitely motivated us to play harder and soak in the moment,” Philbrick said.
However, in WA’s determination to score as many points as possible, AB was awarded four separate fouls, resulting in them gaining six points from free throw shots. Consequently, WA focused primarily on defending against any possible attempts by AB to close the gap in their score, a mission they wound up being successful in for a score of 42-31 at the end of the third quarter.
As the game came to a close, WA remained steady with their plays and scoring. Trahan led the Ghosts in the fourth quarter by being an offensive force that consistently made shots from the three-point line while Pepin got any lingering rebounds. With ten seconds left, senior Saanvi Jha scored a layup, concluding the game with a 58-38 victory for the Ghosts.
“We definitely needed that win as a team to gain momentum for the rest of the season […],” Trahan said. “It felt surreal not only to support a great cause but to also be able to play on the same court as the Celtics is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
WA Girls’ Basketball’s next game will be away against Weston High School at 6 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 23.
