H.S. Roundup: Northampton girls basketball team rallies to beat formerly undefeated Pittsfield

NORTHAMPTON — The Northampton girls basketball team took home an incredible, 55-50 comeback victory over Pittsfield on Thursday night.

With the game tied for the first time since the beginning of the game at 50 points a piece, and under a minute on the clock, the Blue Devils ran back on defense, looking for a big stop.

Northampton was down by over 10 points in the first quarter, battling back to get itself back in the contest late.

The Generals put up a quick shot as time continued to wind down, missing a layup, and giving the Blue Devils the ball with 35 seconds remaining.

Bringing the ball up the court, Pittsfield went for a steal, committing a foul in the process. Northampton was awarded an inbound on the baseline with 22 seconds left.

Keira Cole pump-faked a pass to her left, looking back to the right and finding Emme Calkins open underneath the hoop. Receiving the pass, the junior went right up, drawing contact and converting a layup and free-throw to take a three-point lead.

A stop on the following possession put the game away for the Blue Devils, completing a huge comeback win against a formerly undefeated opponent.

“I told our girls, ‘Just stop folding up shop every time something doesn’t go your way, stop hanging your head,” Northampton head coach Perry Messer said. “‘Just keep competing and stick your nose in there.’ And that’s what we did for 32 minutes. We kept our nose stuck in there and enough to make enough defensive stops down the other end and give ourselves a chance.”

Calkins finished with a game-high 16 points on Thursday night, while battling on the defensive end as well in an all-around impactful performance.

“[Calkins] does that for me all the time,” Messer said. “… I wouldn’t trade her for anybody. She’s led us in scoring since her sophomore year, and she continues to do it for us.”

A big reason for Calkins’ taking over the game was due to an injury to one of her teammates. Anna Oravec was leading the Blue Devils in scoring through the third quarter, before an ankle injury forced her out of the game.

The junior returned roughly midway through the fourth quarter, showing a visible limp. Oravec continued to find success on both ends however, finishing her night with 15 points of her own.

“You saw [Oravec] create a lot of second and third shots for herself,” Messer said. “… Now we’ve got a little bit of a rest ahead, so get some ice on it, go home and get back to practice [Friday].”

Despite a slow start that featured a bunch of turnovers for Northampton, the team showed no quit. Even when the deficit was at its largest, the group stayed level-headed, slowly chipping away.

With a young group, the Blue Devils are still growing together, with big wins like Thursday’s helping prove they’re ready for meaningful games down the stretch.

“We’ve had to move our freshmen along, and get them woken up and get them used to everything,” Messer said. “They’re doing an excellent job for us. Everybody that’s coming in is playing as hard as they can.”

The victory improves Northampton’s record to 6-3 on the season, and the team hopes to continue its two-game win streak on Thursday, Jan. 15, on the road against Minnechaug.

“Hopefully, they’re starting to realize how good they can be,” Messer said of his team. “I’m proud of the fact that there’s no quit in them. We had a lot of sloppy plays, a lot of empty trips, a lot of turnovers and stuff like that. You eliminate that stuff, then you’ll start beating some really good teams.”

Boys basketball

Smith Academy 47, Pioneer Valley Regional 39 — The Falcons walked away with a gritty, defensive victory on Thursday.

Cajun Benson led Smith Academy in scoring in the win, hitting five shots in a 13-point night.

Rowan Jeffress and Harrison LaFlamme tallied nine points of their own, with four other Falcons finding the scoresheet.

Smith Academy improved to 4-4 with the win.

Amherst 66, Longmeadow 56 — The Hurricanes were led by a 30-point performance from Mitchell Carey in their Thursday night win.

Gael Buford scored 17 points in the victory, while Azal Safi tallied 14.

Amherst’s third win in a row improves its record to 5-2.

PVCICS 62, Turners Falls 50 (OT) — The Dragons outscored the Thunder 14-2 in the overtime session to secure a home win in Tri-County North action. Turners Falls (2-3, 2-2 Tri-County) used a 16-8 fourth quarter to erase a deficit and force overtime.

Jackson Cogswell scored 22 points for the Thunder. Kainen Stevens added 13 points.

Skiing

Amherst competed in the Alpine Ski Race at Berkshire East on Thursday, with two top-10 finishes.

Amelia Morse came in second place in the girls varsity slalom, with a time of 47.79.

Maya Phillips finished in sixth place, clocking in at 54.02.

Late Wednesday results

Girls basketball

Granby 48, Mahar 42 — The Senators suffered their first loss of the season at the hands of the Rams on the road. Mahar trailed 25-20 at halftime in the independent contest.

Hayden Comeau scored 25 points for Mahar (6-1). Lexi Ares scored six points for the Senators, all in the fourth quarter.

Wrestling

South Hadley 41, Mahar 35 — The Tigers edged the Senators (2-1, 2-1) at home in Valley Wheel competition.

Daniel Briand grabbed a win at 106 pounds (TF, 23-5) for Mahar. Orion Whitehouse won by decision (5-3, OT) at 132 pounds. Nikolas Fregeau pinned (5:30) Gavin Markham at 138 pounds. Elias Roberts won a 7-4 decision in overtime at 144 pounds.

Joshua Mazza pinned (1:10) Ethan Markham at 157 pounds for the Senators. Khalil Roberts pinned (1:13) Ryder Mayer at 190 pounds in the final win of the night for Mahar.