Gamberoni, Nicotra Earn Athlete of the Week Recognition

Two leaders from two of the hottest high school basketball teams in Berkshire County are this week's iBerkshires.com/Southwestern Vermont Medical Center Athletes of the Week.

 

Lenox senior Nick Nicotra scored 10 points and 12 points to help lead the Millionaires to wins over Lee and Mount Everett, continuing a four-game winning streak.

 

Nicotra is averaging 10 points per game in a balanced Lenox scoring attack that sees four players average between 9 and 13 ppg.

 

The Millionaires are 9-2 this winter with the two losses coming against Berkshire County North Division powers Taconic and Wahconah.

 

With a 3-0 record in the South, Lenox is all alone in first place, and it has a chance to complete the first leg of the double round-robin undefeated on Friday when it entertains Mount Greylock.

 

First, though, Nicotra and his teammates have a chance to make another statement against the North and wrap up a Western Massachusetts tournament bid when they go to Pittsfield on Tuesday.

 

In girls basketball, Wahconah continued its seven-game winning streak on Friday when it stifled Division 2 Longmeadow at the Spalding HoopHall Classic in Springfield.

 

Wahconah (7-1) got its second straight double-digit performance from Maria Gamberoni in the win over the Lancers.

 

Gamberoni is averaging nearly 14 points per game for a team whose calling card is its defense. Wahconah allows an average of just less than 26 points per game and has allowed just one opponent (Pittsfield, in a season-opening loss) to score more than 30 points.

 

As important as Gamberoni is as a scorer, the junior point guard is a solid two-way player and a solid distributor.

 

"That's not something you can teach," Wahconah coach Liz Kay said. "I wish I could take credit for that, but the reality is we have a very selfless group of kids.

 

"In fact, sometimes that's the big drama on our team: that we're too unselfish. ... But, that said, she does so many things for us and makes everybody around her better.

 

"She's a smart kid, and she knows what she has to do to get other kids open and herself open. She knows if she gets other kids open, that's going to provide opportunities for her as well."

 

Wahconah this week hosts Drury and Hoosac Valley before getting another independent test against Quabbin at Saturday's Coaches vs. Cancer Showcase at Hoosac.

 

The iBerkshires.com Athlete of the Week is sponsored by Southwestern Vermont Medical Center.