Alyssa Dias netted a game-best 21 points but it wasn't enough as she and her E.P. girls' hoops mates fell to visiting Woonsocket, Feb. 13. Photo by Mike Rego.
EAST PROVIDENCE — East Providence High School’s tenuous hold on a spot in the upcoming Division I girls’ basketball state championship playoffs wasn’t served well Monday night, Feb. 13, as the host Townies suffered a 52-42 loss to second-place Woonsocket.
The setback dropped the Townies to 6-9 in the I-North subgroup. The Villa Novans kept a firm hold of second place behind unbeaten Bay View as they improved to 11-4. The teams with the eight best records in the final I-North standings qualify for the postseason. E.P. temporarily fell into a share of the seventh spot with Ponaganset, but the Chieftains own the tiebreaker over the locals having won both of the teams’ regular season meetings.
Monday, East Providence trailed 32-19 at intermission. The Townies, however, gradually cut into their deficit over the first 10 minutes of the second half and were behind by only five (38-33) with about six to play. The Novans, though, scored five quick points to regain a more comfortable margin and weren’t tested the rest of the way.
Woonsocket’s Kailey Fugere, whom E.P. head coach Mike Solitro considers the best player in the state this winter, beat a double team to drop in a layup during the Novans’ key spree. Moments earlier, point guard Michelle Braboy drained a clutch 3-pointer. The Townies’ cause was hindered by turnovers at inopportune times late.
“They hit shots when they needed them and we didn’t,” said Solitro.
E.P.’s Alyssa Dias actually led all scorers with a game-best 21 points. Bianca Vails added nine. Fugere, the Novans’ senior forward, scored 20. Braboy and backcourt mate Caitlyn Marcoux chipped in nine apiece.
The Townies likely need one more win from their last three games to at the very least earn a play-in game for one of the last spots into the state tournament. Two wins would all but guarantee East Providence a place in the playoffs. The Townies begin their final stretch of games Friday night, Feb. 17, at home against third-place Barrington 7 o’clock.
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