Nguyen Keys Hornets Win over St. Joe's

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PITTSFIELD, Mass — Some timely fourth-quarter shooting by both Mary Nguyen and Ashley Alibozek was just what the McCann Tech girls' basketball team needed in order to pull out a 52-44 win at Saint Joseph's on Wednesday night. 

Nguyen scored seven of her 14 points from the foul line in the final frame, while Alibozek hit two of her five threes on the night to help the Hornets (4-8) earn a 17-11 scoring edge in the fourth. The Crusaders (7-4) led 25-23 at the half, but McCann flipped the script in the third quarter to earn a two-point lead heading into the fourth. 

Nguyen also came up with 14 rebounds, while Alibozek finished with a game-high 17 points and six boards. Senior forward Cassie Field also chipped in with 10 points for McCann. 

"This was a very intense game," Hornets head coach Kristen Lewis said. "We missed many foul shots in the first half, but we were able to connect in the second half, which is what gave us the lead in the end. Mary kept [St. Joe's center] Kendall Smith in check with her four steals, and she also shot 7 of 9 from the foul line in the last quarter. Two of Ashley's five 3-pointers came in the fourth quarter at a time of need. Those shots gave us the momentum and the confidence we needed to finish with a win.

"The girls showed a lot of determination tonight. They played well together and under control. They were able to communicate on the floor and use their heads to defeat a great team."

Smith led the Crusaders with 12 points, while teammates Keegan McCauley and Gabby Schnopp netted 11 and 10 points, respectively. 

McCann finishes off a very busy week with a road game against South Hadley at 7 p.m. on Friday. St. Joe's next hosts Mount Everett at 6 p.m. on the same night. 
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