HOLYOKE, Mass. — The Lenox girls basketball team struggled in the fourth quarter of the WMass Class C final in a loss to Renaissance, 56-45.
It was a fast-paced affair between these two teams on both ends of the floor. Renaissance jumped out to an early 7-0 lead thanks to their full court pressure that forced Lenox into a speed they weren’t ready for.
It wasn’t till the three-minute mark when Lenox finally got on the board. Late in the first, the Millionaires gave Renaissance a dose of their own medicine, forcing them into careless turnovers giving Lenox a chance to creep back in the game. Lenox continued to plug away and eventually got the game within one possession just before the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter Lenox started to slow the game down, working the ball around making Renaissance defend deep into the shot clock giving the Millionaires easy looks at the rim. Lenox finished the half tied with Renaissance, 22-22, which after the start of the game seemed like a mini win going into the break.
Lenox continued that momentum in the third, breaking the game open to a 31-24 lead. Jocelyn Fairfield got it going with consecutive drives to the hoop including a nice drive and dish to her teammate Kelsey Kirchner for the and-one.
It looked like Lenox was finally getting a hold on the game before Renaissance got its second wind with the defensive pressure going on a run of their own to take the lead back. Evelyn Julieano knocked down a big three late in the third to give Lenox the lead right back at 36-35, but from that point on it was all Renaissance who closed the quarter out leading by two.
In the fourth, Renaissance opened the quarter up on a 10-0 run putting Lenox in a hole too big to crawl out
of. Renaissance was all over the offensive glass and had plenty of second chance points during the run to close the game out. Lenox went the first four minutes of the quarter without a basket allowing Renaissance to slow the ball down and finish the upset over Lenox.
Grace Julieano led the way for Lenox with 11 points, while Claire ÓBrian added nine.
Lenox is seeded third in next week’s Division 5 State Tournament. The Millionaires (18-3) await the winner of Tuesday’s preliminary round game between Hopkins Academy and Smith Academy.
