CHESHIRE, Mass. — After a 4-4 start, the Drury High girls basketball team has won four straight games after knocking off Granby, 40-21, on Saturday afternoon at the Coaches vs. Cancer Showcase at Hoosac Valley High School.

 

“We’ve been really emphasizing positive reinforcement,” Drury senior captain Olivia Carlson said. “We’re really starting to click as a team, and we’re really playing selfless basketball. That’s what we’re emphasizing.

 

“If we’re going to do it, we’re going to do it as a team. We’re not going to win with two girls, we’re going to win with all 12.”

 

Katlyn Toomey scored 10 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, and Molly Moulton matched her with 10 points to go with eight boards and three assists as the Blue Devils took another big step forward under first-year coach Brian Flagg.

 

“This is huge,” Flagg said. “This group of girls, Granby, was in the Western Mass finals last year against Hoosac Valley. They’re a perennial powerhouse in Division 3, and we played them really, really well.

 

“We’ve had a lot of close games in our Division 3 games this year. It’s good to get a big win against a tournament team.”

 

Drury (8-4) did it with defense, holding Granby to just three second-quarter points on the way to a 16-8 half-time lead.

 

Sarah Lamarre knocked down a 3 to open the second quarter, giving Drury a 9-5 lead. Two trips later, Moulton hit a pair of foul shots to get the lead to six.

 

After Granby scored bucket to get within four, Moulton hit a triple, and Toomey scored to put the Blue Devils up, 16-7. It was 16-8 going to the locker room.

 

And Granby managed just 13 second half points as Moulton grabbed three of her four steals after the break.

 

“We’ve talked all the time about how we’re trying to build this program through our defense,” Flagg said. “These girls have worked so, so hard at it every day.

 

“We knew what Granby was going to do offensively. Our goal was to take their top two scorers out of the game. That’s not easy to do. That’s a really good team. … But I couldn’t have asked for any harder work on defense today.”

 

Drury travels to face Mount Greylock on Tuesday in a battle of teams closing in on their 10th win of the season.