Sprague Scores 18 as Wahconah Girls Qualify for Western Mass

By Shannon BoyeriBerkshires.com Sports
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DALTON, Mass. -- With 10.5 seconds remaining in Thursday night's game between Wahconah and Monument Mountain girls; Vanessa Troiano hit a 3-pointer from deep to bring the Spartans within three points of Wahconah at 48-45.
 
Monument quickly called a timeout, looking to get a steal, but ended up fouling, sending Emmy Cote to the line with 2.3 seconds left.
 
Cote hit her first shot from the line; one of just four Wahconah made in 20 tries at the line in the fourth quarter.
 
"I'm just looking for somebody to make a foul shot," Wahconah coach Liz Kay said. "We went with designed plays for pretty much every single person on our team trying to find somebody to make a foul shot."
 
Cote stepped up to the plate in that final Monument timeout when Kay approached her bench and said "Who wants to go to the line?"
 
"Sometimes that's what it's about, who wants to go," Kay said. "Regardless of what they've done earlier it comes down to who wants to be on the foul line and we didn't make on until those last three seconds and Emmy said I've made mine, so we set her up and all she needed to do was make one."
 
Cote's shot put the final score at 49-45, giving Wahconah its 10th win and sealing a trip to the Western Massachusetts Tournament.
 
"Now we can play basketball without pressure," Kay said. "And that's not to say that those other games aren't important, but that's the hump you have to get over is getting number 10."
 
Wahconah held a one-point lead at half (24-23); it came out in the third quarter and was able to put up some shots to extend the lead, but Monument kept coming back. Wahcona ended the third quarter up 37-30.
 
One minute into the fourth, senior Maddie Sprauge drove to the basket drawing the foul and making the basket to extend the lead to 43-32, which was the biggest all game. Due to the lack of finishing from the foul line, Monument was able to stay in it with the Warriors for the most part, but Wahconah's defense made some big stops in the final minutes.
 
Sprauge finished with 16 for Wahconah, Ashley Zink had 15, and Lily Pudlo had 7. For Monument, Sarah Sullivan had 17 and Troiano had 14.
 
Wahconah plays Monday evening against Northampton at 7:30 p.m. at Wahconah, and Monument plays Saturday at Pittsfield.
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