Hamilton-Wenham Girls Stun Wakefield, 54-53

After taking a 12-0 lead in the first quarter it was looking good for the Wakefield girls' basketball team. And with a 52-49 lead with 57 seconds to play it was still looking good. But turnovers and missed free throws usually don't add up to a win and Hamilton-Wenham came back to beat the Warriors, 54-53, in the Division 2 North semifinals at Woburn High school.

Down 49-44 with 4:46 to play, the Warriors started to chip away at the H-W lead and an 8-0 run capped by Hannah Dziadyk's runner gave Wakefield the 52-49 lead. Hamilton-Wenham (15-8) cut the margin to 52-51 on two free throws by Kelly Walsh and Wakefield (17-5) then threw the ball away with 39.8 to play. H-W's Cate Blatchford was fouled with 25.2 seconds remaining and made both, putting the Generals up 53-52.

Wakefield again turned the ball over and with 9.3 seconds left H-W's Blatchford was again at the line, this time hitting one of two to make it 54-52. With 1.5 seconds left Wakefield's Allee Purcell was fouled. She made the first to cut the deficit to one but missed the second. H-W corralled the rebound and the clock expired on the Warriors' season.

Hannah Dziadyk led the Warriors with 21 points. Purcell added 13 points. Hamilton-Wenham was led by Elizabeth Kirschner's 16 points. The Generals will face Arlington Catholic in the North final Saturday at Mystic Valley.