Hoosac Shuts Down Taconic in Tourney Final

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CHESHIRE, Mass. — With the way the Hoosac Valley girls' basketball team performed in its inaugural Holiday Tournament, the Hurricanes will probably want to host this event for years to come. 

Hoosac came up with its second straight stifling effort on the defensive end on Saturday night, holding Taconic to just four points in the first quarter on its way to a commanding 54-26 win in the tournament final. In two tournament games over the weekend, Ron Wojcik's squad allowed an average of 21 points per game. 

After defeating Palmer, the defending Division 2 Western Mass. champions, the night before, it seemed like the Braves (1-3) would put up a good fight against the hosts. Taconic head coach Matt Mickle said his short bench created problems for his team, however, and the Braves fell behind quickly, trailing 14-4 after the first quarter. The Hurricanes (4-2) bumped their lead to 15 points by halftime and never looked back in the second half, holding Taconic to nine points or less in all four quarters of the game. 

"After an initial slow start, we got our pressure and running game going and jumped out to a 26-11 halftime lead," Wojcik said. "Taconic struggled to get things going offensively against our pressure. It was a nice, solid win for the girls in their inaugural holiday tournament." 

Junior guard Jenn Gale led a balanced attack for the Hoosac offense, sinking a pair of 3-pointers to finish with a game-high 11 points. She also added five rebounds, four steals and two assists on her way to being named Tournament MVP. Sophomore forward Emily Rosse also made the All-Tournament team after scoring 11 points and grabbing six boards.

The Braves were led by All-Tournament selection Angela O'Neil, who finished with seven points. 

Taconic next hosts Monument Mountain at 7 p.m. on Friday. The 'Canes also play against St. Joe's at the same that night. 

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