AMHERST — They called it ‘Heartbreak Week.’
Once the semifinals of the Western Massachusetts Division 3 Girls Basketball Tournament were set, members of the Mass Frenzy Black AAU team knew they’d have to face each other to win a title.
Hampshire Regional’s Katy O’Connor and South Hadley’s Sophie Gatzounas matched up on one side of the bracket, while Hoosac Valley’s Fallon Field awaited on the other.
Along with Granby’s Kate Sullivan, they teamed to win the MSNM Western Championships over the summer.
Only Field escaped unscathed in the Western Mass. tournament. Hoosac Valley won its fifth straight title after beating South Hadley, 48-37, Saturday at UMass’ Curry Hicks Cage. The Tigers knocked out O’Connor’s Hampshire team, 54-42, Thursday night in the semifinals.
“It’s so hard because we’re ending each other’s careers,” O’Connor said. “Which sucks because we’re all really close friends.”
They’ll exchange a hug and a backslap during the postgame handshake line, typically. One is smiling. The other has tears in her eyes.
“There’s really no good outcome for someone you care about,” Gatzounas said. “It could have been her on the other end of this. Part of it, you can’t really enjoy it as much. I know I wouldn’t enjoy ending my best friend’s season.”
The players were invested in each other’s seasons. They went to each other’s games wearing memorabilia of the college teams each would play for. The losses aren’t ending any friendships.
“Katy O’Connor gave me and Sophie a hug after the game today. We have a bunch of guys from our AAU team in the crowd,” Field said. “Me and Sophie, especially, have a bond I don’t think anything could break.”
MARCH TO THE LINE — Belchertown senior Kayla Henry shot 15 free throws in the fourth quarter of the girls Division 2 title game. She made 11 and went 12 of 18 overall from the line in a losing effort.
“We knew the refs were going to have to put as at the line if we attacked then we could get as many fouls as possible and try to hit free throws,” Henry said. “Our shooting (from the field) wasn’t there tonight.”
BIG HOLE — Belchertown trailed Pittsfield by as many as 28 points in the second half.
STILL SEARCHING — South Hadley was playing for its first girls basketball sectional title in program history. Hoosac Valley has won the last four Division 3 titles and won Division 2 in 2013.
CHAMPS — Quaboag beat Lee, 56-28, to win its fourth-straight Division 4 girls title. In the boys Division 3 final, Palmer beat Mount Greylock, 49-42, while in Division 2, Longmeadow beat Taconic 56-49.
STATE SCHEDULE — The Western-Central state semifinal games will be held Monday (girls) and Wednesday (boys) at the DCU Center in Worcester. The state championships will be at the MassMutal Center in Springfield, Saturday.