Greylock Finishes Season on a High Note
PITTSFIELD, Mass — Give the Mount Greylock girls' basketball team credit. The Mounties certainly know how to finish a season strong.Things didn't always go Greylock's way as it started the season off with a record of 5-10. The Mounties kept playing hard until the end, however, and won four of their last five games to end the year with a final mark of 9-11. In fact, Paul Barrett's team was just one bad quarter away from knocking off Hoosac Valley and clinching a spot in the Western Mass. tournament.
Although its season ended on Tuesday night, Greylock closed out the 2011-12 campaign with a nice 60-41 victory at Saint Joseph's. The Mounties jumped on the Crusaders early, opening up a 21-6 lead after the first quarter of play. Freshman guard Lucy Barrett had the hot hand early, scoring 15 of her game-high 26 points in the first quarter alone. She did most of her damage from the foul line, making 10 free throws on the night. Overall, Barrett had an outstanding freshman season, leading the team in both scoring (15.85 ppg) and 3-pointers (36).
"We closed out our season with a strong effort over St. Joe's," Paul Barrett said. "An efficient start to the game resulted in a big lead at the end of the first quarter. St. Joe's upped the pressure, however, and the scoring remained pretty even the rest of the way."
Greylock led 32-14 at halftime, but St. Joe's (9-10) competed hard in the second half to keep the game respectable. Kendall Smith and Marissa Avanzato each scored 12 points for the Crusaders, who finished just one win shy of qualifying for postseason play.
Seniors Kaylene Lemme, Caitie Benoit, Kelsey Goodwin and Sierra Holland all played a role in earning the final win of their high school careers. Benoit, who led the team in rebounding this year, finished with 13 points and six boards. Holland, who was second on the team in both scoring and 3-pointers this year, came through with five points and a team-high nine rebounds. Lemme helped out by dishing out four assists, while Goodwin played solid defense on the Crusaders' main threat, Keegan McCauley.
"Our quartet of seniors finished their careers with a solid win," Barrett said. "They will be truly missed next year for their contributions both on and off the court."