SOUTH HADLEY — Two layups fell short in the final two seconds as the South Hadley girls basketball team preserved a 62-61 victory over Hampshire Regional for its fifth straight win Friday.
Mia Kelly led South Hadley with 20 points and a number of key rebounds.
After falling behind by seven at the end of the third quarter, Hampshire (15-2, 4-1 Suburban) battled back, cutting the deficit to one and getting the ball back with just two seconds to play.
The Raiders missed twice inside as the buzzer sounded before center Katelyn Pickunka could take one final shot. Pickunka finished with 38 points.
“It’s a war, every time we play them,” South Hadley coach Paul Dubuc said. “Whether it’s our gym, their gym, it’s just crazy.”
Alexa Blaney added 19 points and Mikhaila Edge 13 for South Hadley (13-3, 5-1).
Maddie Pond added 14 points for the Raiders.
“We get lots of energy when (Pickunka) scores,” Hampshire coach Amy Cyr said. “And then she’s the front of the pressure, and she’s getting traps and putting hands on balls. So the team looks to her, for sure.”
While Pickunka dominated the paint early in the game, Kelly took over in the second quarter, scoring 11 of the South Hadley’s 23 second-quarter points and leading the Tigers in outrebounding Hampshire.
Kelly’s contributions helped South Hadley take a 42-35 lead at the break.
“(It was) just the intensity of the game,” Kelly said. “I knew we had to get some stops and get boards because that’s what wins games, so I just tried to get in there and make something of it.”
Hampshire trailed 50-43 after the third. Pickunka and Pond led the fourth-quarter comeback, combining for 18 points in the final frame.
“I think we lacked the energy in the first half,” Cyr said. “We got outrebounded, defensively we needed to work harder. But I loved the fight at the end. They never gave up, and they were fighting until the end. Would have liked a couple things to go the other way, but I said, ‘Hold your heads high.’”
South Hadley’s win was a reversal of fortunes from its previous matchup with Hampshire on Jan. 23, when the Raiders pulled out a 58-53 win to deal South Hadley what has been its only loss in its last twelve games. Kelly also had 20 points in the first matchup.
“People don’t understand — she does that every night,” Dubuc said. “She’s a double-double machine, she might be a triple-double machine because she gets a lot of assists. She’s the real deal.”
Friday’s loss marked only the second defeat for Hampshire.
“This was huge for us,” Kelly said. “It was one of the biggest games we’re going to have all season.”