Congratulations
girls!
The first year Bay State
Bombers 12U Girls Basketball
AAU
team took first place this
past weekend in the Mass
Premier Memorial Day Blast
tournament.
The team is coached
by Head Coach David Lawton
(Barnstable) and Assistant
Coach Deana Richardson
(Sandwich). Five towns make
up this incredibly close
cohesive TEAM. They are
Ashley Lawton and Elizabeth
Martin from Barnstable,
Torie O'Halloran and Casey
Earner from Carver, Shannon
Marcoux from Falmouth, Hali
Drude from Plymouth and
Katie Rose Ritchie, Kelly
Richardson, Emily Kent,
Emily Fluke, and Megan Congo
from Sandwich.
The Bombers opened
this past weekend's
tournament playing an
undefeated 13U team, the
Rhode Island Lady Hawks. The
Bombers controlled the first
half and led 16-11 with two
minutes to play in the half
behind the solid play of
Fluke, Martin, and
Richardson. With Marcoux on
the bench in foul trouble,
the Bombers let their guard
down in the last two minutes
and allowed their Hawks to
tie the game at half time
16-16. The second half was a
back-and-forth affair with
each team trading baskets
with seven lead changes. The
Hawks led by seven points
with 2 1/2 minutes to play
only to see the Bombers put
a flurry on with a
three-pointer by Ritchie and
two steals and hoops by
Fluke to cut the margin to
one point. But the rush was
too late as the R.I. Hawks
prevailed 38-35.
In game two, the
Bombers squared off against
the Massachusetts Tornadoes.
The game started off slowly
for the Bombers and after 10
minutes of play, the game
was tied 12-12. But in a
trend that has occurred all
season, the Bombers came out
in the second half play and
totally dominated the
Tornadoes. Drude led the
attack with her best game of
the season, scoring from the
outside with ease as well as
on numerous fast breaks.
Earner, Richardson, and
Congro all contributed with
solid games for the Bombers.
Fluke led the team with nine
assists and Emily "Windex"
Kent led the team in
rebounds with 13. Lawton
scored the final bucket for
the Bombers' convincing
51-32 victory.
The Bombers returned
on Sunday, having to win
their final game and also
needing some help on other
game outcomes. The Bombers
squared off against a
scrappy host Mass Premier
team coming into the game
with a 2-0 tourney record.
The first half was a tight
contest with Marcoux scoring
at the buzzer for an 18-16
halftime lead. And just like
the Tornadoes victory, the
second half was all Bombers
as the full court press just
shut down the host Mass
Premier team and held them
to a total of eight points
total. With starting point
guard Fluke in foul trouble,
Ritchie took over at the
point and played superbly in
the second half with four
points and eight assists.
Richardson and Drude
provided the offensive spark
in the second half and
Congro, Martin, Lawton, and
Earner completely shut down
the host team with their
tenacious man-to-man
defense.
The Bombers then had
to wait for the outcome of a
game between the
Massachusetts Lady Predators
versus the Atlantic Belles
to determine if the Belles
or the Bombers would face
the R.I. Lady Hawks in the
championship game. The
Belles won by twelve points
which enabled the Bombers to
move into the title game
based on the tie break
system.
The Championship game
was a rematch with the
Bombers facing the
undefeated Lady Hawks. The
game started slow with the
Hawks controlling the pace
of the game with a slow
tempo approach that saw the
Bombers leading by two
points at half time. But the
Bombers got the lift they
needed when Torie O'Halloran
came into the gym.
O'Halloran was fighting a
high temperature and strep
throat but her presence on
the bench was felt
throughout the whole team!
The Bombers picked up the
pace in the second half and
ran their game plan with a
swarming man-to-man full
court press and fast break
basketball. Marcoux was a
monster in the second half
and led the team with 10
points. Fluke and Drude
followed with six each.
Congro and Ritchie shut down
the two leading Hawk
scorers. Kent was huge on
the boards for the Bombers.
The Bombers secured the
victory 32-28 when Kent hit
a lay-up in the final
seconds. The loss was the
first of the year for the
13U R.I Hawks.
With well deserved
championship T-shirts in
hand, the Bombers headed
home for some rest and
relaxation on Memorial Day.
