NORTH ADAMS, Mass. -- It took nearly five minutes of Monday’s season opener before the McCann Tech girls basketball team gave up a basket.
And the Hornets did not give up much more the rest of the way in a 55-19 win over Pathfinder.
Kaylee Tatro scored 19 points, and Arianna Vincent grabbed 12 rebounds as the Hornets improved to 2-1 on the season.
McCann Tech set the tone early with its pressure defense, forcing Pathfinder into 13 first-quarter turnovers en route to a 16-2 lead.
“We want to play an up-tempo game,” McCann Tech coach Kathy Budaj said. “We want to work on our press. We’ve been struggling with it a little bit, actually, but we’re getting there. It’s early, third game of the season.
“Tomorrow, we’ve got a league game [Smith Academy], which will be good. We’ll see how we do.”
Neither team could do much offensively in the early going on Monday.
When Pathfinder scored its first points with 3 minutes, 8 seconds on the clock, it was a 7-2 McCann Tech lead.
But the Hornets went on a 9-0 run to close the quarter.
Tatro got things started with a bucket in the paint. The next time down the floor, Aubrey Tetlow put back an offensive rebound.
Tatro then had a putback in transition and a transition basket after a Tetlow steal to make it 15-2.
“Kaylee’s been very strong,” Budaj said of the sophomore, who leads McCann Tech with nearly 15 points per game. “She’s strong on the boards, strong in the paint. She’s really stepping up. She’s maturing into a very fine basketball player.”
In the second quarter, Pathfinder rallied with a 7-0 run to get within nine points at 20-11, but Vincent broke a 4:30 scoreless drought for the Hornets with a bucket in the post that sparked a 7-2 run to half-time.
McCann Tech then opened the second half with a 10-3 run that put the game out of reach when Izzy LaCasse scored in transition to make it 37-16 with 3:36 left in the third quarter.
LaCasse finished with six points, and Grace Towler hit three second-half 3-pointers for the Hornets, who had 11 players in the scoring column.
It was a much more convincing win than last year’s 41-38 victory in the Hornets’ trip to Palmer to face Pathfinder. And while comparing opponents across years is always dicey, there is a lot to like about the way McCann is playing in the early going.
“To be honest with you, we’re more confident this year,” Budaj said. “The players are more confidant. They’re more composed. So that leads to fewer turnovers.
“Yesterday, we weren’t able to have practice, so I knew the first half was going to be a little shaky. But the second half, I said, ‘Just go out and play,’ and they’re executing some things. Offense wasn’t as crisp as I’d like it to be, but the press was good.”
Prior to Monday’s varsity game, McCann Tech junior varsity coach Mike Dowling, who also coaches the varsity girls soccer team, was recognized with the Frankie Passion for Coaching Award. Dowling and retired Mount Greylock girls cross country coach Larry Bell are this year’s recipients of the North County honor named for legendary coach Frank Zoltek.
