Pittsfield Girls Rally Late to Edge Chicopee Comp
PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Pittsfield’s Jamie Duquette effectively ended Monday’s come-from-behind win over Chicopee Comp with a steal out of the Generals’ press.
It was only fitting. The press was Pittsfield’s path to a 13-1 run in the last four minutes to score a 49-48 win.
Pittsfield forced nine turnovers in the last three minutes, and Jasmine Small scored eight of her team-high 15 points in the third quarter as the Generals improved to 8-6 this winter.
“We tried some different zone presses, and [the Colts] were doing the right things and getting easy baskets,” Pittsfield coach Joe Racicot said. “We decided, let’s put it person-for-person and go man-to-man the whole way.
“And they rose to the occasion.”
Duquette finished with eight points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Dezerea Powell scored 11, and Randi Duquette passed out three assists.
Chicopee Comprehensive got 22 points from Taryn Corriveau and 15 points and 12 boards from Alyssa Caney.
Adriana Correa-Berly pulled down 14 rebounds for the Colts, who built a big advantage on the glass in the first half to go to the locker room with a 10-point lead.
“We had a couple of kids who are normally rebounders who were out on COVID protocol,” Racicot said. “That hurt us early.
“The bottom line is the kids came through and pulled a rabbit out of their hat. Thank God for that.”
The rabbit appeared to be very firmly in the hat when Caney was fouled attempting to put back an offensive rebound with 3 minutes, 49 seconds left and hit her second foul shot to put Comp ahead, 47-36.
But Powell scored in transition and Small knocked down a 3-pointer on consecutive possessions to make it a two-score game with 2:34 on the clock.
After the teams traded empty possessions, Britain Sadowy put back a rebound for her only score of the game, a big one to get the Generals within four at 47-43.
Corriveau hit another free throw with 1:32 left to push the margin back to five, but moments later, Powell scored in transition off a turnover for two of her nine fourth-quarter points.
Jamie Duquette forced a Comp turnover on the ensuing inbounds pass, and Jamie Duquette drove the lane for a bucket on Pittsfield’s next possession to get the team within one at 48-47.
A steal at the other end led to Small’s transition lay-in with 30 seconds remaining to give Pittsfield its first lead since midway through the first quarter.
“Jasmine’s been up and down, and we needed her today,” Racicot said. “And she did rise to the occasion. That’s why they call it a team sport.”
The visitors got to the foul line with 21 seconds left but missed both. Jamie Duquette grabbed the rebound and got to the line for a one-and-one but missed the front end with 17 seconds on the clock.
Pittsfield’s defense got the ball back, but then the Generals turned it over.
Chicopee Comp got the ball 90 feet from the basket with 5 seconds on the clock, but the Colts were whistled for an offensive foul before the inbounds pass.
Corriveau then stole the ball and the Colts got a timeout with 4.2 seconds on the clock.
On the third inbounds attempt in 5 seconds along the same baseline, Jamie Duquette stole the ball and got it to Powell, who dribbled out the clock to secure the win.
The victory started a stretch of three games in four days for PIttsfield, which hosts East Longmeadow on Tuesday.
The busy week follows a nine-day layoff for the Generals, who had not played since Jan. 28.
“Plus, we had to give them some days off, too because of school closings and things like that,” Racicot said. “We’ve been practicing really well. But to put it in a game perspective … apparently we weren’t practicing hard enough.”