NORTHAMPTON — The annual trip to Joe’s Cafe came early for the Northampton girls basketball team.
The Blue Devils beat Granby, 43-32, Thursday to clinch a Division 2 playoff spot.
The reward Hamp coach Perry Messer gives to his teams for qualifying, dating back to his days with Adam Harrington and Pioneer Regional, is a trip to Market St. for some Italian-American fare.
“They qualify and I take them to Joe’s,” Messer said. “They get their pizza early. They’ve earned it.”
The Blue Devils (5-0) qualified as a result of the 70 percent rule. Because six of their eight Valley League games are against Division 1 teams, to quality they only need a .500 record against their non-Division 1 opponents.
“We are playing in the toughest league in western. Mass.,” Messer said. “Night in and night out it’s going to be a dog fight. There’s no easy ones.”
Using their suffocating press and ball-hawking defense up and down the floor, the Blue Devils took an early 12-2 lead against the Rams.
The lead stretched out for Northampton after halftime, when the Blue Devils forced multiple turnovers that turned into transition baskets.
Amanda Mieczkowski led the Blue Devils with 17 points and three 3-pointers.
“Perry wanted us to play more transition,” Mieczkowski said. “He wanted getting rebounds and running.”
The result of the defense was a 13-2 third quarter that gave Hamp a 34-17 lead entering the fourth.
Northampton’s zone press has caused problems for opponents all season.
“We are still developing it,” Mieczkowski said. “Toward the end of the season we will be a lot better.”
Lacking the size it had last season, Northampton will continue to press for the remainder of the season.
“We are going to get after people,” Messer said. “I told them that by the third and fourth quarter comes around, tongues are hanging and all of sudden legs aren’t there to make shots.”
Emma Tanner continued her hot start to the season with 15 points, 11 rebounds, four steals and four assists.
Tanner also had three 3-pointers for the Blue Devils.
“They are very aggressive and up in your face,” Granby coach Tom Burke said.
It was Granby’s first road game of the season. When the Rams (3-1) were able to get in the half court, Nora Young capitalized with 14 points.
“We were obviously playing a very, very good team,” Burke said. “We didn’t play well in stretches. That’s a credit to them.”
In the fourth quarter, Granby used a press that gave the Blue Devils some problems.
The press, along with two 3-pointers from Kaeleigh Croteau (seven points), helped the Rams to an 8-2 run.
“It was a great learning experience,” Burke said. “We can’t do badly by playing these teams. I’d rather do this than play a game where we win by 30. You learn from losing.”
Hamp’s lead grew to 39-20 before Granby’s run closed the gap.
Claire Babbott-Bryan added six points for Northampton.
