Work Ethic Takes Drury Girls to Fourth Seed in Western Mass
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Drury High girls basketball coach Brian Flagg needed a bus to bring all the members of his team who wanted to attend Saturday afternoon’s Western Mass tournament seeding meeting at the National Basketball Hall of Fame.
But the Blue Devils were not there just to check out the exhibits. This was a business trip.
And that all business attitude has Drury seeded fourth in the Division 3 brackets unveiled at the meeting.
“It’s just their work ethic,” Flagg said. “I tried to give them the day off tomorrow. They don’t want the day off [Sunday]. It’s just that kind of mentality: We’re here, we’re all in. It’s basketball season, let’s just play basketball.”
Entering this basketball season, Drury — two years removed from the tournament — was not on everyone’s radar. Few outside the program were expecting a 14-6 season that has them among the favorites to get back to Curry Hicks Cage in next week’s sectional semifinals.
But Flagg’s team, true to its character, is not resting on its laurels.
“Now that we’re here, we want to win the whole thing, so now we’re prepared to do that,” Flagg said.
Drury will have to wait until Thursday to see its first post-season action since the 2013 season. Drury received a bye in the 11-team D3 bracket and will face No. 5 Greenfield (19-1) at home on Thursday night in the quarterfinals.
No. 2 Hoosac Valley (17-5) also snagged a bye and will await the winner of Monday’s first-round game between No. 7 Granby (14-6) and No. 10 Southwick (15-5).
Monday’s first-rounders will feature a pair of Berkshire County teams in Division 3. No. 6 Wahconah (13-7) opens at home against No. 11 Mahar (11-9). No. 9 Mount Greylock (13-7) hits the Mohawk Trail to go to No. 8 Athol (12-8).
In the jam-packed Division 4 girls field, Mount Everett sits near the top of a 13-team field with the No. 2 seed. The Eagles (16-4) on Thursday will entertain either No. 7 Putnam (18-2) or No. 10 Hopkins (6-14) in the quarters.
No. 6 Lee opens its D4 tournament run at home on Monday against No. 11 Franklin (12-8).
In Division 2, the lone Berkshire County entrant, Pittsfield (16-4) is seeded third in a six-team field. That means the Generals will entertain No. 6 Commerce (16-4) in the quarters on Thursday night.
The semifinals and finals will be played starting March 7 at Curry Hicks Cage at the University of Massachusetts. All of the seedings released on Saturday afternoon are, technically, preliminary. The MIAA allows a 24-hour appeals period to ensure accuracy.