Pittsfield Puts Away Wilmington Late
PITTSFIELD, Mass. -- Harolyn Castillo and Caprese Conyers Thursday led the Pittsfield girls basketball team past Wilmington, 54-35, in the MIAA Division 3 State Tournament Round of 32.
Conyers scored 14 points in Thursday's contest and accounted for four steals. Castillo also scored 14 points to go with a team-high nine rebounds.
“I feel great going into this game, we really had to push ourselves during the game and keep the pressure on and just finish it, Castillo said.
Pittsfield had a couple of lapses in the third and fourth quarters, including a 12-2 run by Wilmington in the third quarter.
Though the setbacks made the game close, Pittsfield’s strong defensive performance helped the team hang on to the ultimate victory.
The game itself was low scoring from multiple missed shots in the paint by both teams and numerous fouls.
Eva Bourdreau of Wilmington scored a game-high 17 total points, controlling Pittsfield in the paint and the perimeter.
Bourdreau scored four 3-pointers total in the game, all of which kept her team in close contention with the fifth-seeded Generals.
This included her monster third quarter, when Wilmington held Pittsfield scoreless for more than six minutes.
Pittsfield entered the fourth quarter only leading by nine.
Wilmington's 12-2 run in the third quarter made a close and explosive ending to Thursday's contest.
The teams put on a master class in defense with both squads putting themselves on the line both mentally and physically for their schools.
At one point late in the second quarter, for four straight minutes both teams were turning the ball over on backcourt violations and steals.
“We talked at half-time and told the girls that the score is 0-0,” Pittsfield coach Kristy Conyers said. “Play this game like it just started.”
“It’s a brand new game, forget what happened before and play like there is not a single thing in our way.”
Pittsfield awaits the winner of Friday’s contest between No. 13 Old Rochester Regional and No. 20 Arlington Catholic.