EASTHAMPTON — There were smiles and excitement all around the bus back to Granby as the girls basketball team clinched a spot in the Western Massachusetts Division 3 Tournament with a 57-26 win over Easthampton Monday night.
“They were on a mission,” said Granby coach Tom Burke. “They wanted to get it done tonight so we can enjoy it, one way or another.”
The Rams (10-9) opened strong, scoring off the opening tip and continuing through the first quarter, forcing Easthampton (5-15) to call its first timeout with 2 minutes, 54 seconds remaining trailing 14-7.
The scoring continued for Granby, which led 22-10 after the first. The Rams held Easthampton to only four points in the second quarter as they entered halftime with a 32-14 lead.
The third quarter showcased the freshman talent, with Faith Bergeron, Kaeleigh Croteau (11 points), Julia Frappier and Nora Young combining for 14 of the team’s 16 points.
“I really can’t say enough about how they’ve come a long way as a group,” said Burke. “With five freshmen, playing a lot of minutes has helped greatly.”
The Rams’ defense carried into the third by holding the Eagles to just two points. Easthampton scored with under two minutes remaining and trailed 48-16 entering the fourth.
“It feels awesome, especially since we just got a playoff spot,” said Young. “It’s really exciting.”
Granby’s injury bug proved to be a challenge. The team has been without Kate Sarnacki (ACL) all season, while Kate Sullivan only recently returned from ACL surgery.
Young (21 points) admitted that having support from their injured teammates and the return of Sullivan helped the team push for their playoff goals.
All injured players show their support by attending practices and games, cheering from the stands and helping with the team’s game plan, said Burke.
“With all of the injuries we had earlier in the year, I really thought this was going to be tough to do,” said Burke. “I’m very proud. I told them that. I’m pretty excited about the fact that they get the chance to have a playoff game.”
The Rams still have one game remaining this season against Hampshire Tuesday night, but Burke was happy to clinch a spot ahead of senior night.
“I’ve said to the girls that that’s a real quality team and we haven’t really beaten a quality team yet this year,” said Burke. “It’s a good challenge for us, but we can breathe easy. We don’t have to sweat it. That’s the key.”
It was the final game for Easthampton seniors Samantha Garcia, Andi Hall and Karina Volpe.