By Ken Chaisson
Hometown Weekly Sports Reporter
The last time Walpole and Tewksbury faced off in a high school sport was during back-to-back football Super Bowls in 1995 and 1996, with each team winning one title. On Tuesday night, the Walpole girls’ basketball team made a statement, defeating Tewksbury 62-42 in a playoff game at Walpole High School’s gymnasium. Walpole led at every quarter break, leaving no doubt about the better team that night.
Playoff basketball brings out grit, emotion, passion, talent, nerves, and poise. The atmosphere in Walpole’s small, packed gym, with fans close to the court, made everyone feel part of the action. The student section was full, dressed in dark attire, adding to the intensity.
Tewksbury (12-10), ranked 30th when the playoffs began, learned that rankings mean little as the postseason progresses. Walpole, led by a balanced scoring effort, proved too much to handle.
Sophomore Katie McDonald set the tone early, hitting a 3-pointer to put Walpole up 10-8 midway through the first quarter. The Timberwolves never trailed again, ending the fast-paced first quarter with a 15-10 lead.
In the second quarter, Tewksbury switched from a 2-3 zone to a man-to-man defense, briefly closing the gap to 17-15. However, Walpole responded, stretching the lead to 31-21 behind captain Caroline Doran’s efforts and taking a 33-24 advantage into halftime.
Tewksbury narrowed the deficit to nine points in the third quarter, but Walpole’s defense held strong, allowing only five points and extending the lead to 17 by the end of the period. Tewksbury cut the margin to 13 with 5:40 remaining in the fourth quarter, but Walpole sealed the win with a clutch runner by junior Tori Adams as the shot clock expired with under three minutes to play.
Adams led Walpole with 19 points, while captain Bella Bingham added 14. Emily Mulgrew and McDonald each contributed 8 points, junior Abby McCann scored 7 inside, and Doran chipped in 5. Walpole’s balanced scoring made it difficult for Tewksbury to focus on any one player.
Tewksbury was led by senior Emily Picher and freshman Reagan Maniscalco, who each scored 16 points. Maniscalco, in particular, showcased poise and talent beyond her years, handling the ball for much of the game.
At press time, Walpole awaits its quarterfinal opponent, which will be the winner of Wednesday’s game between 11th-seeded Pembroke (15-6) and sixth-seeded Worcester South High Community School (15-4). The location and time of the quarterfinal matchup have yet to be determined.
