AMHERST – No massive run signaled the Pittsfield girls basketball team’s comeback.
The Generals fell behind No. 2 Belchertown 9-0 in the first 2 minutes, 7 seconds of their Western Massachusetts Division 2 semifinal on a 3-pointer by Emma Jopson, prompting a timeout.
They eventually worked the deficit back to three at the end of the first and second quarters, before taking a three-point lead into the fourth on a 3 by Megan Collins.
That lead held and No. 3 Pittsfield advanced to the sectional final with a 60-56 win over Belchertown on Tuesday at UMass’ Curry Hicks Cage.
The Generals (18-4) will play either No. 1 Longmeadow or No. 4 North Middlesex at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Cage.
“Give credit to (Pittsfield). They made the shots down at the end,” Belchertown coach Jay Woodcock said.
Peyton Steinman made more than most.
She finished with a game-high 33 points.
The Pittsfield junior hit a 3 with 5:44 left to put her team up 49-41, capping an 8-0 run.
Belchertown point guard Kayla Henry responded with a 6-0 run of her own on three layups to bring Belchertown (16-5) back within 49-47 30 seconds later.
The Orioles brought the deficit down multiple times over the last five minutes but couldn’t tie or retake the lead.
Jackie Johnson nailed her fifth 3 of the evening with 4:31 left to make the score 51-50.
The Belchertown senior hit four 3s in the first half without a miss and finished with 16 points.
“It’s all thanks to my team. They get me the shots. They get me open. They encourage me to keep shooting,” Johnson said. “It’s all them. It’s barely anything I do.”
Belchertown missed its next two opportunities to cut its deficit more after Johnson’s 3.
Jopson missed two free throws with 3:54 left down 53-50, and the Orioles threw a pass too high for Henry in the corner with 2:43 left.
Pittsfield pushed its lead to 57-51 on an Allie Hunt jumper with 1:51 after the Generals grabbed a rebound off a Cara McKenzie block.
Henry, who finished with 18 points, brought Belchertown within 4 with a fast-break layup after a Pittsfield turnover with 1:10 left.
McKenzie made another block with 55 seconds left and tried to pass the ball to half court, but it was stolen by Pittsfield.
“We’ve feasted on that all year long. She throws amazing outlet passes,” Woodcock said. “It’s not a matter of the girls didn’t execute. We got the open looks. We made some, they made more.”
McKenzie finished with 12 points and altered Pittsfield’s interior attack with her size, whether she blocked the shot or not.
Hunt battled her in the post most of the night and forced a tie up with 21.4 seconds that gave Pittsfield the ball and forced Belchertown to start fouling to extend the game.
“(My plan was to) try and pump fake, but that didn’t really work, so to step back and get the clean shot without her towering over me,” Hunt said.
McKenzie played with a sprained ankle for the entirety of the game, missing stretches in second quarter after going to the locker room in between the first and second quarters.
“I give her a lot of credit for running up and down the court they way she did,” Woodcock said.
Belchertown’s opportunity for a second consecutive sectional title ended in the semifinals against the team they beat for the championship last season.
Seniors Jopson, Kyle Lounder, Johnson and Payton McLean played their final games for the Orioles.
“It’s a pretty surreal experience (playing at the Cage),” Johnson said. “We’ve obviously had some good memories there, and we’re not going to let one game tarnish the memories we’ve had on this court.”
Kyle Grabowski can be reached at kgrabowski@gazettenet.com.
Pittsfield 60, Belchertown 56
Generals (18-4)
Aitken 4-2-11, Collins 1-0-3, Eline-Wright 1-0-3, Hunt 3-2-8, Shade 1-0-2, Steinman 11-6-33. Totals: 22-11-60
Orioles (16-5)
Birks 0-0-0, Henry 8-1-18, Johnson 5-1-16, Jopson 2-0-4, LeBlanc 0-0-0, Lounder 2-2-6, McKenzie 6-0-12, McLean 0-0-0. Totals: 23-4-56
|
Pittsfield |
11 |
13 |
20 |
16 |
— |
60 |
|
Belchertown |
14 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
— |
56 |
3-Pointers—Pittsfield 7 (Steinman 5, Aitken, Collins), Belchertown 6 (Johnson 5, Henry)