Photos and story by Richard W. Dionne, Jr.
Westport girls basketball team pummeled Prospect Hill Academy 74-27 in a Division 5 home playoff game on Tuesday night. But the 14-8 Wildcats lost to Douglas 55-48 on the road in the round of 32 on Thursday, thus ending their terrific season.
“I’m proud of them. The girls really played well,” said Wildcats head coach Jen Gargiulo after Tuesday’s victory. “These girls haven’t played in a tournament since Covid. The energy and excitement was great. We are lucky, we have a great student body and a great community that shows up for the games. The tournament is fun. When you get into March, it’s fun basketball.”
Four Wildcats scored in double digits during their crushing of Prospect Hill Academy on Tuesday. Sophomore guard Korynne Holden led all scorers with 19 points, Lily Pichette netted 16, Leah Sylvain scored 12, Meghan Molloy scored 10, Zoey Sylvain, Abby Silvia and Sarah Perry each scored 5, Alora DaFonseca and Lacey Chaunt each scored 2.
“Everybody that stepped on the floor contributed. It was really nice to see,” said Coach Gargiulo. “They work really well together and they do an excellent job of rotating and communicating. We’ve improved as the season has gone on.”
Senior co-captain Lily Pichette spoke highly of her co-captain Leah Sylvain, a junior who will lead the team without her next season. “Every time she gets the ball she knows exactly what to do,” Pichette said. “We’ve played together since I’ve been in high school. She’s been on varsity since seventh grade. She’s like a pro at this. She knows what she’s doing.”