Mounties Spoil St. Joe's Playoff Hopes

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Saint Joseph's girls' basketball team needed a win in its final game of the season on Monday to clinch a spot in the Division 3 Western Mass. tournament. The Crusaders' chances looked pretty good after the first half, down just five points to host Mount Greylock. The Mounties sucked the drama out of the game in the second half, however, busting out for 41 second-half points to break away for a 61-31 win. 

Paul Barrett's squad won the rubber match in its three-game series with St. Joe's (9-11) this season by outscoring the visitors 21-4 in the third quarter. Senior forward Margot Besnard played a big role in the second-half run, scoring 12 of her 14 points after the break. 

"We came out of the locker room looking like a different team and were able to put away a scrappy St. Joe's squad," Barrett said. "After struggling in the second quarter and scoring just four points, I thought we played more relaxed and confident after halftime. Margot finished strong with a big effort on Senior Night, while [junior] Heather Tomkowicz did a great job defensively on Kendall Smith, holding her to 11 points." 

Junior forward Mackenzie Flynn posted a double-double for Greylock (6-12), sinking a pair of 3-pointers on her way to 12 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Freshman guard Arianna Walden came real close to a double-double of her own, scoring nine points with a game-high 10 assists. Sophomore Lucy Barrett also made a pair of threes on her way to a game-high 18 points. 

In addition to Smith's 11 points, the Crusaders also received 10 points from senior Virginia Goggins. 

The Mounties finish their season on Tuesday night with a game at Lenox starting at 7 p.m.