Sports
Spartans Take First-Round Game with Ease
April Robinson scores 21 as West Springfield moves to quarters
West Springfield's lockdown defense was in fine form Monday, as the Spartans beat Westfield 45-27 in the first round of the Northern Region tournament Monday.
The first quarter was peppered with turnovers by both teams, and with no points scored in the first four minutes, it looked as if Westfield had finally found the formula to containing the Spartans offense: deny the ball inside. The patience of West Springfield coach Bill Gibson started to slip a bit as he yelled from the sideline for his team to get the ball to Logan Battle.
The sloppy offensive play continued throughout the half, but the defensive adeptness of Spartans leader April Robinson gave West Springfield more opportunities. With two minutes left to play in the half, Robinson found rhythm offensively, stealing the ball twice and scoring five points all within a span of 15 seconds.
"We did a great job of stepping in some passing lanes and providing help," said Bulldogs coach Pat Deegan. "But the things that bothered us offensively all year long was exacerbated by West Springfield's excellent defense."
All season the Bulldogs have struggled with taking care of the ball and staying consistent on offense, a problem coach Deegan hopes he can fix during the offseason.
"We need to continue to get physically strong, work on our skills, and stay excited about basketball," he added.
Down 15 points to start the second half, the Bulldogs looked excited to be playing what was shaping up to be their last game of the season. They displayed better ball movement in the third quarter and traded the Spartans basket for basket.
Midway through the final quarter, Westfield had outscored the Spartans 6-2 to come within nine, but the Bulldogs made multiple mental errors resulting in missed passes and turnovers. West Springfield took advantage of the opportunities and went on a 10-1 run to close out the game.
Four of the Spartans starting five players combined to score all of their points, but point distribution will need to be a focus in upcoming games in order for West Springfield to be crowned regional champions.
"We were a little tense I think," Gibson said. "At times we got a bit stagnant, but our defense helped out."
Robinson led the Spartans in scoring with 21 points. Amy Berglund ended with 10. Logan Battle and Jordan Miller both scored seven.
Siobhan Beslow scored 12 points for Westfield.
