Pickunka Powers Hampshire Girls Past Drury

CHESHIRE, Mass. -- Katelyn Pickunka scored 30 points and grabbed 16 rebounds Saturday to lead the Hampshire girls basketball team to a 69-55 win over Drury at the Coaches Vs. Cancer Showcase at Hoosac Valley High School.

 

The Blue Devils (2-8) fell behind 12-0 in the opening moments and played their Pioneer Valley foes even from there on out, getting within 10 on several occasions but never quite able to get over the hump.

 

"Unfortunately, for us, it's been a common theme," Drury coach Ian Downey said. "We've started [down] 12-0, 18-0, 15-0, 14-0. I was just saying to them, it's almost like in the games, when they beat the press, they finally have the confidence to say, 'Oh, we can do this.'

 

"I feel like at the beginning of games, they're trying to feel out what they can do and what they can't do, and unfortunately that's leading to them doing stuff that they shouldn't be doing. ... Down 12-0 in the first two minutes, we were down 12, and we end up losing by 14. After that two minutes, it was back and forth."

 

Hayley Shook scored 20 points, and Brooke DiGennaro added 14 to lead Drury's offense.

 

Shook came off the bench to score six in the first quarter -- getting a couple of lay-ups as Drury executed its press break.

 

"She's someone who we've seen this year can be our legit second scorer," Downey said. "She's our quickest dribbler on the floor. When she's attacking the hoop like she did tonight, we're a much better team."

 

Drury's success against the press forced Hampshire to take off the pressure far earlier than usual, Downey said.

 

The Blue Devils were within 10 points by the end of the first quarter after Alison Felix (three assists) set up Tessa Zoito for a bucket to make it 27-17.

 

Although Puckunka got more than her share of offense in the win, much of that came off offensive rebounds. The Blue Devils' bigs, Mackenzie McGuire and Tessa Zoito, with some help from their teammates, did a good job denying the dangerous pivot the ball in the paint most of the game.

 

"I think all teams are obviously going to game plan for her, and we did, too," Downey said. "I thought defensively, we did exactly what we wanted to do. The second piece of that was trying to keep her off the boards. And she just is so ridiculously long.

 

"We were boxing out, and I can't even complain for an over-the-back, because she's that long that she was flipping the ball up to herself."

 

Drury hosts Lenox on Tuesday.