Mount Greylock Girls Complete Sweep of Taconic

PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Madi Powell had a double-double, and the Mount Greylock girls basketball team Monday rode a big first-half lead to a 48-36 win over Taconic.

 

Powell scored 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for the Mounties, who earned their second straight win over Taconic, a 55-42 loser in Williamstown one week ago to the day.

 

Powell had her biggest offensive impact in the third quarter, scoring eight points to key the Mounties’ best quarter of the night.

 

And the visitors needed that production against a Taconic team that matched Mount Greylock point-for-point in the second half after spotting the Mounties a 22-10 half-time advantage.

 

“Maddie had an outstanding game, and I asked her to defend their best player,” Mount Greylock coach John Jacobbe said. “She stepped up tremendously for us last year, toward the end of the year, and so far this year, she’s doing whatever I ask. And, as a coach, you appreciate the effort.

 

“I knew she had double digits. I didn’t know she had 19. She did it quietly tonight. I thought it was like a quiet 19 because it just kept coming and coming in layups and breakaways.”

 

Tanley Drake scored 12 points, and Kate Shelsy had 10 rebounds and a block for Mount Greylock.

 

Taconic was led by Jaelynn Walker, who poured in 16 points and pulled down 22 rebounds. Kiannah Josephs hit a couple of 3-pointers on her way to a 10-point night for the Thunder.

 

It was a one-point game after Walker’s and-one late in the second quarter made it 11-10, Mount Greylock.

 

But the Mounties closed the half with an 11-0 burst that included three baskets from A.J. Pelkey, whose putback in the closing seconds gave her team its 12-point half-time lead.

 

Taconic got it back to single digits early in the third quarter with an 8-0 spurt that started with Walker’s basket in the post, included a Josephs’ triple and ended with three straight points from Jalana Smith (seven points) – all in about 45 seconds – to make it 27-20.

 

“I think in the second half, we kind of really committed to playing our man-to-man and wanting to get some offensive rebounds, which led to us getting into some good spots,” Taconic coach Jason Conuel said.

 

“Unfortunately, we just didn’t shoot the ball well tonight. I think if we shot a better percentage, we would have found ourselves in different situations.”

 

It was still a seven-point game with 2:34 left in the third when Evaniece O’Neil (10 rebounds) was fouled trying to put back an offensive rebound and made one shot to make it 30-23.

 

But just like at the end of the second quarter, Mount Greylock finished the third with a run, scoring eight straight points – four from Powell – to go to the fourth up, 38-23.

 

Despite outsourcing Mount Greylock in the fourth quarter Taconic was never again able to get the margin to single digits.

 

Jacobbe was pleased with the way the Mounties responded to the Thunder’s third quarter surge and the Mounties’ first quarter loss of Annabelle Coody, who was taken from Taconic in an ambulance after suffering a leg injury.

 

“We had an emotional night with an injury early,” Jacobbe said. “I thought how we handled the adversity with the injury, we responded pretty well to maintain a lead going into half-time. And when they made their run in the third quarter, I thought we handled that adversity.

 

“I told them I was super proud of their mental effort tonight, because we had a lot of bad things happen, and we responded every time. …It’s a great team win. Madi Powell deserves accolades, but I thought the whole team stepped up.”

 

Mount Greylock (4-2) goes to Pope Francis on Friday.

 

Taconic (1-4) is off until Tuesday when it hosts South Hadley.

 

Photos from this game to come.