WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – The Mount Greylock girls basketball team Tuesday made every play to start the game and just enough plays at the end to survive with a 35-32 win over Ludlow.
Molly Sullivan scored nine points, Charlotte Coody pulled down 17 rebounds, and Emma Newberry made a steal to end it as the Mounties survived a furious comeback bid by the Lions to snap a four-game losing skid and improve to 2-5 this winter.
“We’ve been in a lot of close games,” Mount Greylock coach John Jacobbe said. “Although we made this one a nail-biter and they did a nice job coming back, we held on and won a close game, so that’s the positive.”
Mount Greylock previously came out on the wrong side of a three-point game against Monument Mountain in the opener and a two-point game at Agawam.
On Tuesday, it looked like the Mounties were going to put the visitors away early, outscoring Ludlow, 14-0, in the first quarter.
The lead got as big as 18 points when Coody put back an offensive rebound late in the second quarter to make it 23-5, and the Mounties were able to take an 18-point margin into the second half thanks to another putback, this one by Jacqueline Brannan, to end the second quarter.
But the second half belonged to Ludlow.
Jacinda Hewes and Kaylee Lyman each hit 3-pointers in the third quarter to help the Lions get the deficit down to single digits at 29-20.
Mount Greylock appeared to right the ship when it scored on its first two fourth-quarter possessions while forcing three straight Ludlow turnovers.
Emma Newberry and Phoebe Barnes each scored in the first minute of the fourth quarter for the Mounties, but Mount Greylock went on to score just one more time after Barnes connected with a jumper from the left wing to make it 33-20.
Hewes, meanwhile, hit three fourth-quarter 3-pointers on her way to a game-high 18 points.
Ludlow’s press, meanwhile, produced three turnovers in the last 1 minute, 24 seconds after a Lyman free throw made it a two-possession game for the first time since the opening minutes at 35-29.
“We got through dry spells, it happens, but this is three games in a row where they just played their hearts out,” Ludlow coach Tim Brillo said. “I’m proud of them. I really am. I know we’d much rather come out with a victory, and that didn’t happen. But I love the way they compete.
“And if you compete like that, you’ll be successful in life. That’s all we can hope for.”
The Lions (1-8) got a triple from Hewes with 42 seconds left to make it a three-point game.
After Ludlow got the ball back with an offensive rebound, Sullivan came up with a defensive board at the other end with 16 seconds remaining.
The teams then traded turnovers before Mount Greylock had an inbounds play with 12.3 seconds remaining.
Ludlow then fouled three times in six seconds to get Mount Greylock into the bonus on a two-shot foul against Coody.
The Mounties made a big mistake with a lane violation to erase Coody’s second foul shot, and Ludlow got the ball on its baseline needing a miracle with 5.5 seconds on the clock.
The inbounds pass against Mount Greylock’s press made it to half court, where Newberry stole the ball and was able to dribble out the clock to ice the win.
Emma Gilooly drained two 3-pointers in the first quarter for the Mounties. Newberry and Abby Scialabba each finished with four points; Scialabba played through foul trouble most of the night, ultimately sitting down for good with 1:13 left to play.
“There were only two things that could give us trouble: 3-point shots and getting in foul trouble,” Jacobbe said. “We did both things. I’m happy we held on, and we obviously know we’ve got a lot to grow.”
Mount Greylock makes the short road trip to North Adams on Friday to take on Drury.
