THE WARRIORS celebrated their seven seniors on Friday night before a victory over Wilmington punched their ticket to the Div. 2 state tournament. (Courtesy Photo)
By DAN PAWLOWSKI
WAKEFIELD — The Wakefield High girls’ basketball team honored their seven seniors on Friday night at the Charbonneau Field House in the best way possible: with a win.
Only it wasn’t just a regular win for the Warriors who beat Wilmington 53-39. It was their 10th win which earns them an automatic bid to the Div. 2 state tournament.
Of course, that made it even sweeter for the seniors: captains Sophie Brown (10 pts, 11 reb, 2 stl), Hannah Hill (8 pts, 5 reb, 2 stl) and Ashlee Purcell (11 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast, 7 stl) along with Taylor Campbell, Emma Greatorex, Elena Lotti and manager Riley Suntken.
With the help of a great fan base and electric environment, Wakefield stormed out of the gates with a 14-3 advantage and ended the first quarter up 15-5. Six different Warriors scored in the first quarter led by 4 from Brown and Hill, 2 from junior captain Emma Shinney (11 pts, 2 reb, 6 ast), 2 from sophomore Emma Quinn (3 pts, 2 reb), 2 from freshman Aliza Margolis (6 pts, 3 reb, 2 stl) and 1 from junior Mia Forti (4 pts, 2 stl).
“Overall, it was a great night,” said head coach Jason Pavey. “We had one of our best 1st quarters of the season and a lot of that had to do with the energy from Senior Night. Our whole team was really excited to go out there and try to get the win for the seniors. Our senior captains: Sophie Brown, Ashlee Purcell and Hannah Hill really set the tone; especially on the defensive end, creating turnovers that led to some transition baskets.”
One of those defensive plays included an impressive block by Purcell that led to a long pass from Shinney to Hill for a layup and an 8-3 lead. A dart from Hill to Brown later made it 10-3 and forced a Wilmington timeout. Margolis entered the game and immediately followed up a mid range jumper with a steal and an assist to Quinn.
Wakefield’s defense continued to lead to easy buckets during a second quarter that they won by a 15-9 count to take a 30-14 lead into halftime. Shinney led the way with 5 points in the 2nd including a step back 3 to give her team a 22-7 lead. Two Hill free throws made it 24-11. A Brown bucket from Shinney concluded the first half.
Wilmington turned things around in the 3rd quarter as their outside shots started to fall. The Wildcats won the frame 16-11 to cut the Warrior lead to 41-30 going into the final quarter.
Wakefield finished strong in the fourth. A Shinney corner 3 after a touch pass in mid-air from Quinn made it 46-34. A Forti 3 off a Shinney dish took the wind out of the sails for a potential Wilmington comeback as Wakefield cruised to the finish line, highlighted by appearances from Cambell and Lotti to plenty of cheers from the Red Sea student section.
As the Warriors made a state tournament appearance official – their first since 2018 – Pavey couldn’t help but consider the journey of the girls’ hoop class of 2022. That 2017-18 team was one of the best in Wakefield girls’ basketball history. They made it to the D2 North finals and featured a roster of mostly seniors.
The current seniors entered a rebuilding situation as freshman in 2018-19 and worked hard to bring the team back to its current position: first place in the Middlesex League Freedom Division.
“This group of seniors came in four years ago in a really tough spot,” said Pavey. “We had just competed in the D2 North Finals and were in a rebuilding mode. Now here comes this group of freshmen and they get thrown right into the fire. It wasn’t easy, but they continued to work.
“Now, fast forward and we can say that every year over the last four seasons, this group has improved their win total (7 as freshmen, 9 as sophomores, 9 in only 14 games last season and now 10 including a spot in the postseason).
“We talk about improving everyday and that’s something they can look back on and be proud of. With that said, we’re not done yet.”
The Warriors, who were ranked 19th in the latest MIAA Div. 2 power rankings, will now focus on finishing the regular season strong so they can be playing their best basketball in the new statewide tournament.
They beat rival Melrose last night 51-35 (full story will appear later) improving to 11-4 overall. The Warriors travel to Stoneham on Friday night at 7:30 p.m.