Pittsfield Cruises into State Championship Game
WORCESTER, Mass. -- Kyana Summers scored 19 points, and the Pittsfield girls basketball team punched its ticket for the Division 3 State Championship game with a 56-26 win over Apponequet on Monday night at Worcester State.
Summers grabbed nine rebounds, and Madison Stetz and Harolyn Castillo pulled down 12 and 11 boards, respectively, as the Generals dominated the Lakers in all phases of the game in a wire-to-wire victory.
Second-seeded Pittsfield (20-5) awaits the winner of Tuesday's state semifinal between No. 1 Bishop Fenwick and No. 4 Medway. The Generals will play the winner of that game this weekend at UMass-Lowell on a day and at a time to be announced.
The Generals Monday announced their arrival in the Final Four with authority, jumping out to an 11-0 lead and outscoring No. 3 Apponequet, 13-2 in the first quarter.
Caprese Conyers (16 points) got the opening run started with a putback in transition, and, moments later, Castillo hit a pull-up jumper in the lane to give PIttsfield its first double-digit lead at 11-0.
After Pittsfield's offense cooled off in the second quarter and the Generals went to the locker room up, 21-12, PHS exploded for 18 points in the third, when Summers scored 11 points.
"She's capable of scoring, so the coaches are talking to her, telling her, 'Hey, you've got to score,' " Pittsfield coach Kristy Conyers said. "You've got to penetrate. She's a pass-first guard, and there's nothing wrong with that. But you have to look to go to the hoop as well."
After falling behind by 15 early in the second quarter, Apponequet gave its fans some hope with an 8-3 run that included 3-pointers from Jillian Gagnier and Ceclia Levrault (team-high 13 points).
The Generals held the Lakers without a triple after half-time.
"We just told them they have to rotate better," Coach Conyers said of her instructions to her defense. "If you don't have the trap, don't get the trap, stay matched up. And they did.
"But we let them know, [Apponequet] has the offense that will drive to the hoop, penetrate, will shoot the 3. So you've just got to play defense."
And Pittsfield brought the stifling defense that has allowed 31 points per game in four state tournament games -- including a quarter-final it led, 71-35, going to the fourth quarter and eventually won, 76-46.
The Generals opened the second half like they opened the game, mounting a 9-0 run to open an 18-point lead.
Summers scored twice, including a 3-pointer from the left-wing corner, and Conyers added four points during that spurt.
From then on, it was just a matter of keeping the Lakers at arm's length and running out the clock, a familiar position for a Pittsfield team with 12 wins by margins of 20 points or more this season.
This weekend, it will go to the last day of the season for the first time since 2002, when Cambridge beat Pittsfield.
"I don't know the last time, but it's been a while," Coach Conyers said.
"It's a great feeling. These guys have worked hard ever since they started at PHS, and everyone who has joined just this fall continues to work hard with us."
Photos from this game to come.