By Paul Vozzella
Hometown Weekly Sports Reporter
It’s another year and another trip back to the quarterfinals for the Warriors, as Medfield defeated Bishop Fenwick 55-37 on Wednesday night.
Fenwick put up a great fight throughout the game, getting off to a hot start in the first quarter while Medfield was not playing like its normal self. Although the Warriors were forcing many turnovers, they were 0-for-8 from behind the three-point line. A perfect performance in the same period kept the game tied 11-11 heading into the second quarter.
“I think we knew they were gonna be a great team,” said junior Izzy Kittredge. “They played a tough schedule, so we just had to stay true to ourselves, rebound, play defense and just believe in ourselves.”
Kittredge was able to end Medfield’s drought from beyond the arch, making a three-point shot to start the next quarter, but the struggle would continue. The Warriors finished the first half 2-for-21 from deep.
“Sometimes they don’t go in, but you just have to keep shooting them…” said Kittredge. “You just have to keep playing.”
Despite the long distance woes, Medfield fought for the lead through its ability to drive to the basket and get to the free throw line, finishing the first half 11-for-11 from the stripe. Heading into halftime, the Warriors held an 11 point lead.
The third quarter saw Fenwick inch back into the game, forcing Medfield to take a timeout following a three-pointer to cut the Warriors’ lead to six. Still finding success in the paint on offense, Medfield continued its free throw streak up until the final minute of the third quarter after hitting the first 15 attempts.
“I think Coach just tells us to be aggressive all the time, so we have details to attack,” said Kittredge, who finished with 11 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals and 4 blocks.
The Warriors took a ten point lead into the final frame and before giving any hope to Bishop Fenwick, scored seven points to put the game away.
“I think our freshman Abby [Broderick],” mentioned Kittredge on what caused the fast start to the fourth quarter. “She played like she wasn't a freshman. She really showed what a great asset she is on the court, so it's great to have her.”
Broderick was responsible for all seven points that started the fourth quarter. Following an offensive rebound and putback layup, Broderick immediately secured a steal and transition layup. To finalize the impressive sequence, she drew the defense in and popped the ball out to senior Olivia Whelan, who drilled a shot from behind the arc. Broderick finished with 15 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals.
Medfield moved on to play Northampton in the Round of 8.
