Wahconah Girls Win Fifth Straight

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. -- Back in December, the Wahconah High girls basketball team opened its season at home with a one-point loss to Mount Greylock.

 

New year, new look for coach Liz Kay's "road warriors."

 

Wahconah took control of the game in the second quarter Wednesday night and cruised to a 46-29 win over Mount Greylock.

 

It was Wahconah's fifth straight win and its fifth straight road win after losing two at home to start the season.

 

"This is sort of a benchmark game for us," Kay said. "I feel good about it. I think it's hard to go on the road. I think it's hard to come here. This is our fifth straight away game, so we're used to playing on the road.

 

"But I think it's a good measuring stick when you play a team you played early and then you get them again later."

 

Kenna McIlquham and Ashley Zink scored 11 and 10 points, respectively, to lead the way on offense, and Lily Pudlo pulled down 11 rebounds in the win.

 

Wahconah was up by just three, 17-14, when Sarah Stripp scored midway through the second quarter for the Mounties (3-4).

 

But moments later, Pudlo scored in transition off an Emmy Cote defensive rebound to spark an 8-2 run to half-time that left their team with a 25-16 lead.

 

McIlquham scored two at the line and drove the lane for another bucket, and Julia O'Connor scored off a pick-and-roll with Zink during the run.

 

"We just made a couple of adjustments, just in terms of trying to bring Jenna [Benzinger] out a little bit and attack moreso in the transition than when they're stationary," Kay said. "That's what we were focusing on there."

 

Benzinger, the Mount Greylock center, finished with a game-high 13 points and nine rebounds. No other Mountie finished with more than five points.

 

Defense has been the key during the winning streak for Wahconah, which has held its last four opponents to 32 points or fewer.

 

On Wednesday, Mount Greylock started the second half matching the visitors score for score and had the deficit back in single digits when Maddie Albert set up Elena Cerveira for a field goal to make it 31-23 with about three minutes left in the third quarter.

 

But Wahconah went on a 13-1 run that spanned the third and fourth quarters to put the game away. Mount Greylock committed five turnovers during that stretch.

 

Cote finished with just two points but had five rebounds, two assists and two steals in the win.

 

Wahconah looks to continue its winning streak on Saturday at Coventry.

 

Mount Greylock is home against St. Joseph on Friday.