Garvey Guides Drury Past Taconic

PITTSFIELD, Mass. -- The Drury girls' basketball team picked up a good win against an improving Taconic team on Wednesday night, holding the Braves to just seven fourth-quarter points en route to a 48-40 victory. 

The Blue Devils (12-3) won their fifth straight game and kept pace with Lee in the North Division standings thanks to a balanced scoring effort that saw nine different players put points on the board. Senior forward Shannon Garvey led all scorers with a season-high 18 points and seven rebounds for Drury, which also received a solid all-around game from Ali Tatro. The senior forward scored six points, grabbed seven boards and made five steals, while point guard Danielle Racette ran the offense effectively with a game-high seven assists. 

"I was very proud of our total team effort to earn a tough road win," Blue Devils head coach John Franzoni said. "Taconic played well and kept making runs at us during the game, but I thought we showed good composure and had good offensive possessions to maintain our lead. 

"Shannon hit big shots in the second half, Ali played a complete overall game and Megan Benoit came off the bench to give us a big lift with nine points. We received solid guard play from Danielle Racette and Morgan Lamarre to force Taconic into 17 turnovers. Our defense in the fourth quarter was a key factor in in helping us earn the win." 

The game was close throughout, but Drury led most of the way thanks to a 13-8 first-quarter run. The visitors increased their lead to seven points by halftime, but the Braves (2-14) kept it a close game by breaking out for 16 points in the third quarter. Post players Nyanna Slaughter and Brianna Rogers both had big games for the Braves. Slaughter picked up her sixth double-double of the year by posting 16 points and 13 rebounds. Rogers wasn't far behind, scoring 10 points and grabbing nine boards. 

The Devils host Pittsfield next at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. Taconic plays at Lenox at 7 on Friday night. 

JV Game: The Drury girls' junior varsity team remained undefeated on Wednesday, earning a 45-17 win over the Braves. Katie Toomey led the way for the Blue Devils with 10 points and six rebounds. Hannah Rivard and Nikki Crews helped out with eight points apiece, while Molly Moulton had a nice all-around game with seven points, six assists and four steals. 

Shelby Provencher paced Taconic with six points.