NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – The Lee girls basketball team Friday used tough defense and balanced scoring to win its third straight game and fifth in its last six outings, a 56-27 win over McCann Tech.
Kenzie Garrity scored 13 points, and Mia Puleri and Mika Diller each posted a double-double as Lee ran its record to 7-5.
It was the Wildcats’ second double-digit margin of the winter against the Hornets, and, if anything, the young Lee squad was even sharper this time around.
“We are certainly better than we were a month ago or at the beginning of the year,” said Lee coach Rick Puleri, who suits up three middle schoolers and four underclassmen.
“We’re all learning each other still, but we’re getting there.”
Lee roared out of the gates on Friday with an 18-3 first quarter.
Garrity scored seven points in the period, and Diller (10 points, 14 rebounds) 6-for-8 at the free throw line in the first eight minutes.
Diller’s two foul shots with 3 minutes, 22 seconds left in the quarter gave Lee a 10-0 lead before Aiden Champney hit a 3-pointer to get McCann Tech on the board.
Lee scored the next seven, ending on a transition bucket by Puleri (10 points, 10 rebounds) to make it a 15-point margin.
Puleri connected three times from behind the 3-point line in the second quarter, which Garrity ended with a triple to give Lee a 35-10 lead at half-time.
Much of that lead was built on 15 McCann Tech turnovers and the transition points that came from those giveaways or defensive rebounds.
The Hornets did a better job of protecting the ball and limiting Lee’s fast break opportunities in the second half.
“That’s a matter of recognizing: Hey, if I’ve got four girls in front of me on offense, I don’t want to be sending all five girls for an offensive rebound,” McCann Tech coach Justin Kratz said. “You have to recognize you’re the lone girl, and you’ve got to get back.
“We talked about that at half-time, and they did a better job with that in the second half. They took away that more.”
In the second half, the Hornets also started to connect more at the offensive end, getting nine of Hannah Boisvert’s team-high 11 points and six points from Amaya Todd, who also had a game-high 15 rebounds.
Both teams were playing their second game in as many days. Kratz said he did not think the quick turnaround played into McCann Tech’s slow start on Friday night.
Puleri, on the other hand, was happy to see his bounce back quickly and get off to a fast start in its second road game in a 24-hour period.
“I thought we came out with good energy,” Puleri said. “And our defense is definitely improved.”
The 27 points allowed Friday was the most by Lee in its current three-game winning streak.
“We got off to a fast start and made some shots,” Puleri said. “We had a good night shooting 3s.
“When you’re on the road, especially, it’s nice to be in that comfort zone where you get the lead. And they did a good job with that. They got the ball inside, defense and rebounding, got out and ran and got the lead.”
McCann Tech (1-11), which has been held to 35 points or fewer every night this season, continued to have trouble finishing offensive possessions.
“We struggle, we could not buy a basket tonight,” Kratz said. “And they’re working hard.
“I just told them in the locker room, ‘They make me smile,’ because they’re playing hard right up until the end of the game. That’s all I can ask. We’re trying to run our offenses, and we’re just struggling to score right now.”
McCann Tech is home against Baystate Charter on Thursday.
Lee plays on Sunday at Mount Everett.
