Fourth-Quarter Run Pushes Devils Past Mounties
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass — The Drury girls' basketball team was stuck in a rut against Mount Greylock on Monday night, but the Blue Devils showed they're capable of finishing strong, breaking off an 11-0 run at the start of the fourth quarter to carry themselves to a 37-21 win at the Mountie Dome.After taking a 15-6 lead at the end of the first quarter, John Franzoni's squad hit an offensive drought, scoring just nine points combined throughout the second and third frames. Down 19-9 at halftime, Greylock (4-6) made a mini-run in the third quarter by outscoring the visitors 8-5. Drury (8-2) led 24-17 entering the fourth quarter but went on an 11-0 run out of the gate to put the game away.
Blue Devils point guard Danielle Racette came up big in the fourth quarter, dishing out three of her team-high six assists in the final period. The Drury junior also scored a game-high 11 points, grabbed three rebounds and did an admirable job of holding the Mounties' leading scorer, Lucy Barrett, scoreless on the night. Prior to the contest, the promising Greylock freshman had been averaging 13 points per game this season.
"Our offense was good in the first and fourth quarters, but we struggled to finish in the middle two quarters," Franzoni said. "Danielle did a great job on both ends of the court, and it was a tremendous defensive effort by our team, which preserved the lead when our offense stalled out in the middle of the game."
Junior forwards Shannon Garvey and Ali Tatro also had solid nights for the Blue Devils. Garvey collected her first double-double of the year with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Tatro was right on pace with her with nine points, 11 boards and five steals. Senior forward Sierra Holland knocked down a pair of 3-pointers on her way to finishing with a team-high eight points for the Mounties.
"Sierra did a nice job with her hustle and heart, providing us with some offense on a night where we struggled offensively," Greylock head coach Paul Barrett said. "Drury played a solid all-around game defensively and came through down the stretch with multiple pick and rolls to eliminate any chance we had of making it interesting at the end."
Drury is now off until next Monday, when they host rival Hoosac Valley at 7:30 p.m. Greylock next hosts an undefeated Lee squad at 7 p.m. on Thursday.