Et Tu, Wilmington?

After earned a No. 10 seed in the MIAA North Division 2 postseason, they were forced to travel to face Boston Latin Academy on Tuesday night. The Wildcats proved to be rude guests against the seventh-ranked Dragons.

The Lady Wildcats left no doubt who was the better team from the start, sprinting to a 17-5 lead after one quarter and a 32-16 edge at the intermission. The game never got any closer as Wilmington left town with a convincing 58-31 win.

“We thought we were prepared,” said Wildcat head coach Jay Keane. “We play in a very tough league. Cape Ann girls basketball is very competitive. We have to work on some things, but our goal was to come in and play well and move on.”

With the victory, Wilmington moves onto the bracket quarterfinal and faces either No. 15 Tewksbury or No. 2 seed North Andover. The quarterfinal tilt is slated for Saturday at 3 p.m.

Scoring was spread out evenly throughout the lineup against the Dragons. Maggie Brown led the charge with 10 points as she dominated play in the paint against overmatched Boston Latin.

Junior guard Emily Crannell stuck several shots from distance to help the lead balloon early on. She ended the game with nine markers of her own. Amanda Keane turned in a stellar effort as well with eight points.

“It’s good that everyone can play and work on their game,” said sophomore forward Michelle Woods. “It’s good that we have a team like this where everyone can play, everyone got points and everyone worked hard. Everyone works hard in practice, so they deserve to play.”

Woods helped push the advantage to 30-11 when she dumped in a layup and absorbed the contact for a three-point play with 2:14 to play before the break.

Keane said his charges fell to North Andover both times the teams played, though he had a shorthanded roster both times. The mentor is also familiar with Tewksbury should the Redmen pull the first round upset.

“We’ve had some injuries throughout the year, but we’re ready to go,” said Keane. “The girls are excited to be playing in the state tournament. It’s a great time for them. I’m just trying to get them to enjoy the moment because it’s a really fun and exciting time for them to be here.”

The first quarter was some of the best basketball Keane’s team has played this season. Wilmington worked the ball to every spot on the floor, and moved seamlessly in transition so much so that the Dragons would play two defenders under their defensive hoop when they were shooting free throws.

Woods said the team, which is now 12-9 on the year, has found its groove.

“We still have work to do but I think we’re getting there,” said Woods. “We’ve come very far as a team. We have more team chemistry, which helps on the court.”