Barrett Blows Up in win over McCann
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass — The McCann Tech girls' basketball team got off to a strong start but in the end, it was the Mount Greylock defense that made all the difference in a 54-20 win for the Mounties in the season opener for both teams on Friday night.Trailing the visiting Hornets 15-14 early on, Paul Barrett's squad reeled off six unanswered points at the end of the first half to take a six-point lead into the break. Greylock then flexed its muscles in the third quarter, outscoring McCann 21-2 to take an insurmountable 42-17 lead. Freshman Lucy Barrett led all scorers for the Mounties, scoring 12 of her game-high 22 points from the free-throw line.
"McCann came out strong and battled in the first half," Paul Barrett said. "They rebounded well but were not able to finish inside. A strong third quarter put us in control and a solid defensive effort helped us finish out the game."
Senior Kaylene Lemme played a big role on the defensive end for Greylock. She also came through with a balanced stat line of four points, eight rebounds and four assists. Barrett also credited junior Alex Majetich with a solid defensive effort. She was second on the team with 11 points and four rebounds, while senior Catie Benoit chipped in with 10 points and seven boards.
The Hornets were led by senior guard Ashley Alibozek, who finished with eight points in the game. McCann head coach Kristen Lewis said a short bench was a big reason why her team only managed five points in the second half of play.
"It was a rough game," Lewis said. "We stayed right with them in the first half and just ran out of steam in the second half. It was hard because we had five varsity players who had to swing in this game because we only had four JV players show up for the first game. This made our numbers down the bench smaller. We have seen what we can do and where we need to put forth a little work and that is what we are going to do this week."
The Hornets play their first home game on Thursday, when Holyoke Catholic comes to town for a 7 p.m. game. The Mounties are off until next Monday, when they play at Drury in the first round of the Gene Wein Holiday Tournament.
The Hornets play their first home game on Thursday, when Holyoke Catholic comes to town for a 7 p.m. game. The Mounties are off until next Monday, when they play at Drury in the first round of the Gene Wein Holiday Tournament.