MIAA basketball: Samone Young scores 29, leads Easthampton girls past Bromfield in D4 prelims

EASTHAMPTON — The No 23. Easthampton girls basketball team handled No. 42 Bromfield to the tune of a 56-38 win in the preliminary round of the MIAA Division 4 tournament on Tuesday night.

Success for the Eagles came right out of the gate, stringing together a 10-0 run to get the night started. The early lead proved to be too much for the Trojans to surmount, with Easthampton continuously keeping them at bay.

Scoring came easy for the Eagles in the first quarter, tallying 23 points in the initial frame. Beating Bromfield’s full-court press created wide-open opportunities for Easthampton to take the ball coast to coast for easy layups on the offensive end.

“All year we’ve been able to break the press,” Eagles head coach Brian Miller said. “With three good ballhandlers … it’s pretty tough to press us… they were able to just stay calm, and execute, and break it pretty easily.”

Attacking the hoop was where Easthampton made its money in the win, tallying 23 made 2-pointers on the night. With zero makes from behind the 3-point line, getting quality looks on the inside was essential for the team’s success.

Samone Young led the way with 29 points on the night for the Eagles, making her presence known in the paint. The senior’s combination of strength and touch around the rim paved the way to a night with 11 made shots from the field, and seven makes from the free throw line.

“Good screens from my teammates made the lane open,” Young said. “And since [Bromfield wasn’t] switching the ball screens, it was easy just to go one-on-one. I really found my rhythm.”

“At times, I just think [Young’s] unstoppable,” Miller said.

Easthampton’s offense slowed down after the first quarter, but the substantial, 23-9 lead it built over the first eight minutes proved to be a big enough cushion through some scoring woes.

The Trojans made things interesting by going on runs in the second and third quarters, but the Eagles maintained their lead, making hustle plays down the stretch and staying even-keeled throughout the momentum swings.

“All in all, I thought we executed well, and we played with a lot of heart,” Miller said. “So, we were able to kind of ride out the low spots.”

Audrey Burek did her best to give the Trojans a chance on Tuesday, with the sophomore carrying the offensive load to a team-high 24 points in the loss.

Her scoring wasn’t enough to out-battle Easthampton’s relentless offensive attack, which also got a 13-point contribution out of Teagan Crussana in the win.

The Eagles knew Tuesday was their last home game of the season, with each player leaving it all out on the floor to come away with a big time win to kick off their state tournament run.

“[It was] pretty emotional for our team,” Young said. “We have a lot of connections, and we didn’t really want to see it end. So I think that was a big motivator to do well [Tuesday]. And I think we did that.”

Holding on for the victory, Easthampton moves on to the Round of 32, where it’ll take on 10th-seeded Sutton on the road. Tipoff is set for Friday, Feb. 27, at 5:30 p.m.

Boys basketball

MIAA Div. 5

No. 36 Hopkins 71, No. 29 Duggan Academy 66 — For the second time in less than a month, the Golden Hawks soared into Springfield and took down the Jayhawks.

Tuesday’s victory pushes Hopkins into the Round of 32 where it’ll face No. 4 David Prouty.

Against Duggan, the Hawks had four players reach double figures, led by Derek Gromacki’s 17 points. Harry West (16 points) and Chace Earle and Matthew Vassallo (14 points each) helped send Hopkins into the next round.

The Hawks hit 13 3-pointers as a team in the preliminary round win.