Loss To Martha’s Vineyard Leaves Norton Girls Basketball In Must-Win Mode

Though it will not be easy, the task is now clear for the girls’ basketball team.

If the Lancers want to qualify for the MIAA Division 3 South Sectional Tournament they will need to win their final four games of the regular season.

That situation arose following Norton’s tough 58-38 defeat to Martha’s Vineyard in a non-league contest on Thursday night at the Lawrence Larocque Gymnasium.

The loss dropped the Lancers to 7-11 overall on the season, meaning they must win their final four games to finish at .500 and reach the postseason.

That quest will begin tonight when Norton hosts Bellingham in a Tri-Valley League game at the Larocque Gymnasium at 6:30 p.m. In the first meeting between the two teams, the Lancers suffered a heart-breaking 70-68 setback in Bellingham.

“We have to win our last four games now,” said Norton head coach Nicole Nunes. “We have to play like we never have before in these last four games. It starts with Bellingham on Friday night and we have to protect the ball, box out and limit their shots.”

After the game against the Blackhawks, Norton will entertain Medway in a league contest next Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. The Lancers will then host Medfield on Senior Night Friday, Feb. 18 at 6:30 p.m.

Norton will conclude the regular season with a trip to Martha’s Vineyard for a re-match with the Vineyarders during school vacation Wednesday, Feb. 23 at 3 p.m.

Junior guard Meg Brown led Norton on Thursday with 15 points, including 11 in the first half. Sophomore guard Rebecca Wasylow had 13 points, including 10 in the first half.

Junior guard Kristen MacGray also scored six points, while senior forward Alex Grimes and senior captain and forward Shannon Hansen both contributed two points.

Junior center Jillian Sedlier and Crystal Miske were the top scorers for the Vineyarders with 13 points apiece. Jennie Lindland also scored eight points, while Alex Mark had six.

Martha’s Vineyard (5-11) had a total of 11 players score during the game.

While some viewed the Martha’s Vineyard win over Norton on Thursday night as an upset, people in the area that have true knowledge about local basketball knew that the Vineyarders were a much better team than their 4-11 overall record indicated.

Martha’s Vineyard has lost a lot of close games this winter and play in the Eastern Athletic Conference with two of the best teams around in Coyle-Cassidy and Bishop Feehan. So it was really no surprise that a quick and physical Vineyarder squad would pose a serious challenge to the Lancers on Thursday night.

“They controlled the physical pace of the game the whole time,” Nunes said. “Their speed and physical play really took a toll on us. But we knew they were a very physical team coming into the game. And they have played in a lot of close games, so we did not expect a typical 4-11 team. This was a good test for our kids.”

The only team in the Tri-Valley League that can duplicate the speed and physical play of Martha’s Vineyard would probably be undefeated league champion Medfield.

“We have faced some physical teams this year, but they have the combination of speed and physicality that we haven’t seen a lot,” Nunes said. “The only team in our league that has the same combination of speed and physical play would be Medfield.”

The Lancers were trailing by just nine points at 43-34 with 2:50 remaining in the third quarter following a basket by Brown off an inbounds play. But the Vineyarders used a 15-4 surge for the remainder of the third quarter and the fourth to put the game away.

In fact, after Brown’s basket at 2:50 of the third quarter, the Lancers would score just four points for the rest of the game, all four coming from MacGray in the final period.

It also did not help matters that Brown was forced to leave the game with a bloody lip at the end of the third quarter and missed the first three minutes of the fourth.

Martha’s Vineyard scored the final three points of the third quarter and the first four of the fourth to open up a 16-point advantage at 50-34 with 4:16 left in the game.

A rebound and put back by MacGray ended the run and pulled the Lancers within 14 at 50-36 with 3:07 left, but Martha’s Vineyard seized complete control of the contest with a 6-2 surge over the next 1:47 to open up a 20-point advantage at 56-36 with 1:20 left.

The game got off to a good start for Norton. Following a basket by Sedlier that gave Martha’s Vineyard a 2-0 lead, the Lancers scored six straight points on consecutive three-pointers by Wasylow and Brown for a 6-2 edge with 6:30 left in the first.

Another three by Brown gave Norton a 9-3 advantage at 5:08 of the first quarter, but then the Vineyarders scored the next six points to pull even at 9-9 with 3:15 left.

A steal and basket by Wasylow gave the Lancers the lead back at 11-9, but Martha’s Vineyard went on a 5-0 surge to take the lead for good at 14-11 with 1:08 left.

With the Vineyarders holding a 16-13 advantage heading into the second quarter, Brown hit a jumper to cut the lead to one at 16-15, 50 seconds into the period.

But then Martha’s Vineyard used a run of six consecutive points to push its lead to seven at 22-15 with 5:50 remaining in the half. Two baskets by Wasylow helped Norton close the gap to 23-19 at 4:28, but the Vineyarders responded with a 6-1 surge to take a nine-point lead at 29-20 with 2:18 remaining in the quarter.

Holding an eight-point advantage at the half at 31-23, the visitors increased their lead to 12 (35-23) by scoring the first four points of the third quarter.

A three-pointer by Wasylow pulled the hosts within nine at 35-26, but five straight points by Martha’s Vineyard pushed the lead back to 14 (40-26) with 4:47 left in the third.

Two baskets by Brown and one each by Grimes and Hansen were part of an 8-3 run by Norton that closed the gap to nine points at 43-34 with 2:50 left in the quarter.