WEST BOYLSTON, Mass. – Maddie Pitro scored 16 points Tuesday to lead the West Boylston girls basketball team to a 47-27 win over Drury in the Division 5 State Tournament Sweet 16.

 

The Blue Devils (12-12) struggled offensively against the seventh-seeded Lions (16-5) on a  night when Drury was making its fifth road trip in five post-season games.

 

“We scouted them extensively and prepared for them to play man, but they uncharacteristically came out and sat in a 2-3 zone and we struggled to make shots,” Drury coach Ian Downey said. “It was nothing we hadn’t seen at times this year. But the smallness of the gym wouldn’t let us get out and run like we like to do and it forced us to have to make shots against their zone and we were just off tonight.

 

“We were literally just down the road at Tahanto five days ago, and it didn’t matter what type of defense they threw at us, we got shots and made them. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen tonight.”

 

Alyssa Russell led Drury with eight points, including the team’s two 3-pointers. Maddison Houghtaling and Jacinta Felix finished with six points apiece.

 

“Obviously, it’s never easy to lose that last one, especially for the seniors,” Downey said. “My main message to the team was how proud of them I was. It was a roller coaster of a year. Between our schedule (15 road games), injuries, sickness, etc. At one point we had lost four in a row and sat at 6-10. Some teams could have folded but the girls rallied and finished strong. 

 

“This is my sixth year and we’d never knocked off a higher seed [in the previous five]. This year’s team not only had an upset, they had three of them. Franklin County Tech and Palmer in the Western Mass tournament and Tahanto in the state tournament. That made me proud. And for the seniors I made sure to tell them that they left the program in a better place then when they started. That’s all you can ask for as a coach. So I thank and appreciate everything they have done over the course of their careers.”