'Canes Come Up Short in Upset Bid over Wildcats
ADAMS, Mass — You have to hand it to the Lee girls' basketball team.In the past three games, the Wildcats have taken the best shots possible against scrappy teams like Lenox, Mount Greylock and Hoosac Valley. But each time, Lee makes enough plays down the stretch to keep its undefeated record in tact.
The Hurricanes were the latest squad to put a scare into the Wildcats on Thursday night, earning a 15-11 lead after the first quarter before eventually losing 54-44 at home. Hoosac (9-4) trailed by six points with less than 90 seconds to play, but Lee protected its lead in the final minutes to improve its season record to a perfect 14-0.
"It was tough game played by both teams," Hurricanes head coach Ron Wojcik said. "The game was played up and down the court with both teams pressing full court. After taking a lead after the first quarter, Lee came back to go up 26-22 at the half. They pushed their lead to 12 by the end of the third, but we came back to make it close late in the game. Lee made the big shots when they had to. It was a good effort by both teams, and a good learning experience for our younger kids against a great team."
Guard Eileen Dooley led the Wildcats with a game-high 19 points, while teammate Stephanie Young chipped in with 13. Freshman forward Emily Rosse paced Hoosac with 14 points and 12 rebounds, while senior forward Erica Mach posted 10 points and 11 boards. Wojcik also received solid games out of sophomores Jenn Gale and Megan Rodowicz. Gale finished with 13 points, five rebounds and five assists. Besides putting in a good effort on the defensive end, Rodowicz added three points, six boards and team-high eight assists.
After dropping two straight games to Drury and Lee, the 'Canes face another stiff challenge in their next game when they play at Pittsfield at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.