McCann Tech Avenges Season's First Loss
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – Three days after the St. Mary’s girls basketball team handed McCann Tech its first loss of the season, the Hornets got a measure of revenge.
Madison Rougeau scored 22 points and pulled down nine rebounds as McCann Tech Monday earned a 51-38 win in a non-league game between the Tri-County South Division rivals.
The Hornets did not trail after Aiden Champney (10 points) scored in the post to give them a 4-3 lead in the early stages and led by as many as 15 in the third before holding off a Saints’ surge in the fourth.
McCann Tech coach Justin Kratz said his team came out with a different spirit on their home court.
“Just the intensity level, being ready to go from the opening tip, they did a much better job,” he said. “They kind of knew that we weren’t quite ready to play the other night, so we talked a lot about it in practice.
“We talked a lot about that in practice last night, coming in ready to play tonight, making sure we were locked in.”
Rougeau went five-for-five at the foul line and scored 11 points in the first half, but St. Mary’s ended the half down by just five thanks to junior Audrey Amaral, who finished with 30 of her team’s 38 points and a game-high 19 rebounds.
Amaral started the second half by knocking down a 3-pointer to make it a one-possession game at 22-20, but McCann Tech answered with a 13-0 run to take the game’s first double-digit lead.
Rougeau scored seven points in the run, putting back an offensive rebound, driving the lane for an and-one and scoring in transition with an assist from Faith Brazeau, who fought through foul trouble to score seven points with nine rebounds and eight forced turnovers.
Rougeau also drew the defensive assignment on Amaral when McCann Tech went to a box-and-one in the second half.
“She had a heck of a game,” Kratz said of Rougeau. “She’s finding her way. She’s young still. She’s a sophomore. And, you know, the game’s slowing down for her a little bit more each game, and she’s getting a little bit more and more comfortable.
“It’s only a matter of time before we see more consistent performances like this out of her, because she’s definitely capable.”
Brazeau’s bucket in transition made it 35-20 with about two minutes left in the third. But St. Mary’s cut it to 10 by the end of the quarter and got within five when Amaral got a steal at one end and a layup at the other to make it 40-35 with 3 minutes, 46 seconds left to play.
Amaral then stole the ball again and got to the line with 3:37 on the clock, making one shot to get St. Mary’s within four.
The Hornets answered with seven straight points to regain control.
First Champney scored in the post with an assist from Emmalie Wood. Then Rougeau set up Champney for a bucket to push the lead to eight.
Gabriella Lefevre got to the line and made a free throw for the Hornets with just fewer than two minutes left, and Champney capped the run with a basket off McCann Tech’s press break to push the lead to 47-36 with 1:30 left.
McCann Tech (7-1) is back at it again on Tuesday, going on the road to Hampden Charter with a chance to go 3-0 against the Wolves.
Photos from this game to come.