Grafton Girls Drop to 0-3 with Loss to Quaboag

The Grafton Indians Girls basketball team faced off against the talented District contenders, the Quaboag Cougars, Dec. 20.  Even though Grafton played their hardest and gave it their all, they were exposed on both sides of the ball by the talented Cougars club.

Early on, Grafton was collapsing on the ball, forcing the Cougars to take jumpshots. Quaboag, which was obviously well-coached, made adjustments early, playing a "triangle offense" that exploited Grafton's zone defense en route to a 65-25 victory. Grafton Coach Britt Bishop was emphasizing "defense" in all of the timeout huddles throughout the game.

Grafton was haunted by sloppy mistakes all night long, forcing bad shots, losing their marks on defense, and most crucially  turning the ball over on 18 occasions. These turnovers didn't just spell disaster for their offense, but actually gave Quaboag's transition offense the opportunity to push the ball up court with their quick passes en route to easy layups. 

Quaboag got off to a quick start as they led 13-0 in the opening quarter. The early lead was created by forced turnovers and patient passing. These turnovers were caused by Quaboag's aggressive full-court pressure on defense. Astonishingly, at one point in the first quarter, Grafton had more turnovers than field goals attempted.

The first Grafton basket was scored by Kendal Bergenholz, as she came off the bench and grabbed a steal which led to a layup, making it a 13-2 ballgame.

Quaboag was able to move the ball from the outside to the inside, rarely having to take shots from the perimeter, while Grafton would either force shots from long distance or throw up low-percentage prayers while often surrounded by defenders in the painted area. Just about every hoop that Quaboag scored in the first quarter was off an assist. The first quarter ended 17-4.

The second quarter started out similarly, with Grafton continuing to turn the ball over. A major factor for the team's failures in the "ball control" department is the injury to PG Jess Ahlman, who coach Bishop hopes will return in the next week or so. The injury also weakens an already short bench rotation.

At one point in the second, Quaboag started missing makeable shots while also struggling at the free throw line. Still, Grafton's zone defense was often getting exposed on the weak side where there would be an open Cougar waiting to catch the ball and put it in from under the bucket. The half ended with a score of 33-8.

In the third, Grafton showed why they still have some hope for the rest of the season. Captain's Emily Malone and Taylor Snediker "played phenomenally," according to Coach Bishop, acting like captain's "on and off the floor'' and "being great leaders.'' Malone finished with 9 points, including a pair of jumpshots from the same spot in the quarter, with one of those a three-pointer.

Snediker finished with 4 points on the night, while showing hustle all game and playing some intense defense. At one point in this quarter, the Indians scored nine points to the Cougar's six in that span.

The fourth quarter started with a couple of turnovers while Grafton continued to force outside shots or contested layups, never finding an answer for the aggressive defense. Quaboag's bench players were able to pick up where their starters left off, as the balanced and unselfish team play didn't miss a beat, finishing with the 65-25 score, led by a combined 26 points for the McCann sisters.

While Grafton's offense often seemed stagnant, slowly passing the ball around the perimeter and rarely getting within 20 feet of the hoop without facing a double team, Quaboag ballhandlers always had help with moving targets and picks being set for cutters.

Quaboag has won its fair share of District titles the past ten years. Coach Bishop explained that "the first five games are some of the best teams in Central Mass.," and that after those games "we'll be playing teams that are more on our level." Grafton fans have to hope that these games are toughening up the team so that they will be well-prepared when the matchups get a little bit more even.