GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. -- Senior Annie Canales has been part of a lot of big wins for the Hoosac Valley girls basketball team.
So when the game was on the line on Friday night, her competitive instinct kicked in.
Upset-minded Monument Mountain went to the fourth quarter with momentum and a six-point deficit against the reigning Division 3 State Co-Champions.
But Canales started the final stanza with 3-pointers on back-to-back trips. Then she drove and dished to Sharaya Keele to make it 54-40 and continue an eventual 18-0 Hoosac Valley run that propelled the Canes to a 64-44 win.
“It was definitely a little frustrating, because I think Hoosac is known for blowing people out,” Canales said of the mood on the sideline between the third and fourth quarter. “But I, honestly, like the competition. So props to Monument for giving us competition tonight.”
Canales finished with a game-high 20 points, and Rylynn Witek added 17 as the Hurricanes improved 5-2 overall and 5-0 against everyone but unbeaten Wahconah.
At times, it felt like Hoosac Valley might put this game away early, but, repeatedly, Monument Mountain was able to reel the Hurricanes in and keep it close.
It was 17-7 late in the first quarter when Alyssa Garabedian scored in the post, but the Spartans got back within seven at 25-18 midway through the second quarter.
Hoosac then scored four in a row, but Monument answered with a 6-3 run to half-time that ended with a Natalie Lewis putback to make it 32-24, Hurricanes, at half-time.
The Hurricanes led by 10 late in the third quarter, but Lewis and Emily Mead connected from beyond the arc to help make it a six-point game, 46-40, with eight minutes left to play.
But just as Hoosac Valley has done for nearly a decade, it delivered a knockout blow.
Monument Mountain coach Randy Koldys said his players were a little gassed at the end of a stretch of five games in eight days.
“It catches up with you,” Koldys said. “We had a few extra bodies tonight, but the extra bodies we had haven’t had a lot of chances to practice. We didn’t have any gas left.
“At 46-40 going into the last quarter, I felt really good about where we were at. We moved the ball well. We did some things that we haven’t done. We’ve done it in spurts, but not for longer stretches. … We played well for 24 minutes tonight, but we have to figure out how to play well for 32 minutes.”
Monument Mountain (1-6) is off until it hosts Mount Everett on Monday.
