Westport girls use intense defense and foul shots to hold off Diman, 38-32

Photos and story by Richard W Dionne Jr
Posted 12/31/18

Defensive intensity, doing the little things and making foul shots boosted the Westport girls basketball team over Diman 38-32 for their first victory of the season during a home game on Friday …

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Westport girls use intense defense and foul shots to hold off Diman, 38-32

Posted

Defensive intensity, doing the little things and making foul shots boosted the Westport girls basketball team over Diman 38-32 for their first victory of the season during a home game on Friday afternoon.

“The big difference was I hit my foul shots and as a team we hit foul shots,” said sophomore captain Jess Carney. “We have been losing by such small percentages that the little things matter for us to get us winning. So we hit our layups, we hit our foul shots and that is what put is over the top.”

“The girls in our three games this year have played over the top hard,” said Head Coach Michael Ponte. “The girls have great attitudes. They are getting better at every practice and every game. They are a fun team to coach right now.”

 In the first half, Diman raced out to a 10-2 lead before the Wildcats began to fight back.

Eight grade guard Leah Sylvain made four foul shots, Dakota Azevedo hit a three and Jess Carney scored four from the post as the Wildcats clawed their way back to into the game with Diman clinging to a 16-12 lead.

 The Wildcats “defensive intensity” made the difference in the second half. Eighth grade guard Dakota Azevedo covered Diman’s super guard Mya Parker. The quick and agile Azevedo made several steals off Parker and held her to just three points in the second half.

“Dakota was our defensive stopper. It was her job to slow down Mya Parker, one of the best players in the Mayflower League,” said coach Ponte. “She’s a kid I feel that I can put on a team’s best guard and she’s going to cause them fits. She’s got quick feet. She dives all over the place. If you’re going to be a good team, then you need a kid like Dakota who’s going to do all of the little things…”

And in the second half, the shots started dropping in for the Wildcats.

“We only scored 12 points in the first half, but I said to them, ‘Girls the stuff’s going to start falling.’ And when we out-scored them 12-3 in the third quarter, the defensive intensity was exactly what it needed to be,” said coach Ponte.

Offensively Carney, brandishing a new left hook, was a force in the third quarter scoring 7 of her game high 12 points.

Carney a lefty, has been working on her post moves with assistant coach Jen Gargiulo during practice. They came up with the hook to give her more distance between her usually bigger opponents.

“She is very coachable and a great learner,” coach Gargiulo said of Carney. “She always wants to improve. She’s been taking advantage of her practice time…and it’s starting to pay off.”

 

Third quarter

Acevedo blocked a shot by Diman’s Bonnie Leapaga, sprinted down court and leaped up over Parker for a layup to make the score 16-14.

Carney bucketed a foul shot to make it 16-15, then

Leapaga made a foul shot to make it 17-15.

Sylvain hit a jumper just inside the arc to give the Wildcats their first lead of the game 18-17 with 5:21 to go in the third quarter.

Azevedo dove into the box and snatched a loose ball away from Diman forward Talia Deschenes.

Sylvain passed the ball inside to freshman forward Lily Pichette. She kicked it back out to guard Sara Edwards on the right corner for a three. She missed, but Pichette was on the far post for a put back to give the Wildcats a 20-17 lead.

“She’s as athletic as you can get,” said coach Ponte of Pichette. “With her length and her size, if she keeps working and starts making her foul shots, we are going to be hard to beat.”

Both Pichette and Carney made foul shots to make the score 23-17.

Carney hit a left hook to make the score 25-18 with 2 minutes left in the quarter.

Sylvain fouled Parker on a fast break and she netted one to end the quarter 25-19.

 

Fourth quarter

In the fourth, Diman closed to 25-21 before Azevedo hit a jumper to make it 27-21 with 7:14 left in the game.

Diman again closed to within two points 28-26, with 3:29 left to play.

Carney grabbed an offensive rebound and hit Pichette striding to the hoop, but the forward was close-lined by Diman forward Selena Mendez. She made one of two to make the score 29-26.

Azevedo again stretched the lead and hit a jumper to make it 31-26.

The Wildcats got the ball in to their best foul shooter, Leah Sylvain once Diman began fouling with under two minutes left.

Sylvain made 5 of 6 down the stretch to ice the victory.

 

 

Scoring:

Jess Carney scored 12 points, Dakota Azevedo scored 10, Leah Sylvain scored 9 and Lily Pichette scored 7. 

By quarter 1 2 3 4 total

Westport 2 10 12 14 38

Diman 8 8 3 13 32

 

Next up

The Wildcats play at West Bridgewater on Friday, Jan. 4.

 

 

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