Ashland 62, Holliston 44: Clockers Halt Panthers' Winning Ways

The Holliston girls basketball team was looking for its sixth consecutive win on Monday night in Tri-Valley League basketball action.

Host Ashland had other ideas.

Holliston was greeted by a hostile crowd in the opening quarter and an even less-welcoming Clocker team in a 62-44 loss.

Senior forward Vicky Sostilio scored 12 points and sophomore guard Lindy Kyger followed with 10 for Holliston (9-4, 9-4 TVL), but the Panthers simply could not stop Ashland's Blake Underhill. The Clockers' junior guard torched Holliston for 21 points, all in the first half, leaving the Panthers one win shy of Division 2 South sectional qualification.

Kristen Kenney added 12 points for Ashland (11-5, 10-4 TVL).

Ashland shot the ball lights out from the start to take a 21-9 lead after the initial eight minutes.

"We didn't give up, but that first quarter we were outscored 21-9 I think," said Holliston coach Kristen Hedrick. "Ashland had some pretty loud fans here tonight and my kids have to learn to understand that's going to happen and step up."

Holliston seemed to be frustrated in the first half by a full-court trap that the Clockers used to take the Panthers out of their up-tempo style. Offensively, Ashland then simply began draining 3-pointers at an impressive clip.

Underhill connected on a couple of deep treys along with sophomore Ilyza Holman as the Panthers' deficit grew deeper. Holliston tried to keep pace with early baskets from Vicky Sostilio and Ashley Higgins, but the playmaking ability and shooting of Underhill was just too much.

"She (Underhill) had 21 points against us in the first half," said Hedrick. "The bottom line is she was on and played great. We just couldn't stop her and our help defense wasn't there."

After Ashland opened the second quarter on a 10-1 run (led by Underhill yet again), junior Jackie Sostilio and sophomore Catherine Tehan began to get the Panthers back on track with some inside baskets. A nice runner in the lane by Kyger (10 points) followed by a three-point play by Jackie Sostilio brought the Panthers to within 42-23. But by then the gap was just too large.

"Lindy is starting to step up a little bit and she's getting a little more confidence in her game, so she's looking good," said Hedrick.

Another bright spot for Holliston was the play of Jackie Sostilio, who kept her poise at the free throw line on one particular occasion when the rowdy Ashland fans tried to rattle her.

The junior responded by calmly sinking both free throws.

"It definitely felt well and I know the crowds are going to be like that at States," said Sostilio. "I just ignored everything and focused on the rim and got them in."

Ashland basically controlled the glass and dominated the first half on the inside as well as the perimeter, which forced the Panthers to play catch-up all night.

Trailing by 19 entering the third quarter, however, Holliston fought back. At one point, a jump shot by junior Allison LeBel cut the lead to 13, but that was the closest the Panthers got.

Holliston did show a little spark in the final quarter by outscoring the Clockers 9-7 but it was too little, too late as the win streak came to an end.

"Next Thursday is Senior Night and we'll have another shot at them and we'll see what happens," said Hedrick. "Any given night."

The Panthers next play Tuesday night, hosting Dover-Sherborn at 6:30 p.m.