PITTSFIELD, Mass. -- Look at the score, and you'll think the Pittsfield girls basketball team had an easy day on Saturday.

 

The 53-27 win over Auburn does not exactly scream: Tough test.

 

But look at recent history, and you find out otherwise.

 

"We played us at their place last year with pretty much the same personnel, and they put a whooping on us," Pittsfield coach Joe Racicot said. "So we kind of owed them. But I was pleasantly surprised at how things turned out.

 

"I thought it was going to be a closer game in the beginning, but our kids got their motor running early. They were pushing the ball up the court, and we started to make some good plays."

 

Pittsfield (13-2) was ahead 17-3 after one quarter without a single point from leading scorer Peyton Steinman.

 

Steinman changed that in a big way to open the second, scoring six points in transition in the early going to help the Generals pull even further ahead.

 

"When you get those easy baskets by just running the floor, it just adds to the kids' confidence," Racicot said.

 

Auburn gained a measure of confidence itself in the third quarter when it used an 8-0 run to get back within 16 points at 36-20. But Pittsfield scored the next 11 to put the game out of reach for good.

 

The last four came courtesy of the press, which led to an easy bucket for Lauren Carnevale (16 points), and a Toni Satrape defensive rebound that led to a lay-in by Trinity Cookis (game-high 18 points).

 

"We kept our starters in the full time for that reason," Racicot said of Auburn's third-quarter run. "They're a good team. In their league, they're 12-3. They only lost to Millbury twice and Tantasqua."

 

Pittsfield travels to Drury on Monday night before a Wednesday showdown against Hoosac Valley, which beat the Generals, 60-44, in Cheshire back on Dec. 30.