Mestre, Hathaway Earn Athlete of the Week Honors

The Taconic boys and Lenox girls basketball teams have won six games between them on the young season, and Izaiya Mestre and Jackie Hathaway are big reasons why.

 

Mestre is one of a passel of seniors on the talented Taconic boys team, which improved to 3-0 Friday night with a 72-51 win over Pope Francis, which went to the Division 1 semi-finals a year ago.

 

Mestre scored a team-high 18 points and shot 2-for-3 from behind the 3-point line in that victory. For the year, he is averaging a team-best 22 points per game.

 

Local fans have two chances to see Mestre and his teammates this week: Tuesday at home against South Hadley and Thursday at the Boys & Girls Club against Lenox in the Pittsfield Hoop Club Holiday Classic.

 

Hathaway and the Lenox girls face a tough test of their own on Tuesday: at home against four-time defending Western Mass champion Hoosac Valley.

 

The Millionaires have been up to every test so far this season, going 3-0, including Friday’s win over Putnam, which lost by just six to eventual Western Mass finalist Mount Everett in the sectional quarter-finals.

 

Hathaway scored a game-high 15 in Friday’s win. For the year, she is scoring 12 points per game. In Tuesday’s win over Pope Francis, Hathaway passed out five assists.

 

“Jackie sees the floor as well as anyone I’ve coached,” Lenox coach Mike Nykorchuck said. “She drives and hits the open person every time.”

 

iBerkshires.com's Athlete of the Week is sponsored by Jiminy Peak.