By Michael Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor
Following a tough 46-41 defeat at the hands of non-conference foe Scituate on January 17, the Westwood High School girls varsity basketball team bounced back with a big-time win on their home floor against Norton on Friday evening.
Freshman sensation forward Elisabeth Gill, who entered Friday night’s game ranked 12th in the TVL in scoring with 96 points through 10 games, guided the Wolverines (4-7, 3-4) with a game-high 19 en route to a convincing 55-38 victory. Friday’s performance brought Gill’s average PPG up to 10.4 on the year.
Along with Gill’s 19, major contributions also came from junior forward Fiona McGowan, who racked a career-high 10 points, while junior guard Caitlin Curtin recorded a career-high eight points along with logging four assists and recording three rebounds. Senior Gabriella Heaney-Secord scored six points and dished out three assists.
Both teams traded blows to begin the game as a pair of layups by Gill and a two-point jumper by sophomore guard Taylor Kane allowed Westwood to go ahead 13-11 at the end of one.
Westwood began the second quarter on a 14-8 run, thanks in large part to a two-point bank shot by Curtin along with layups by Gill, senior Elizabeth Kelly, and a three-pointer by McGowan. Down 27-19 with under 10 seconds to play, Norton closed the gap to just five with a three-pointer just before the buzzer to make it a 27-22 game at the half.
Exiting the midpoint break, Norton continued where they left of at the end of the firs half as a three-pointer by the Lancers cut the Westwood lead to just two at 27-25. However, the Wolverines responded with a 10-4 run to extend their lead back to 37-29 at the end of three as McGowan swished a pair of two-point jumpers and Kelly banked home a two-point shot at the buzzer.
The Wolverines kept their feet on the gas during the fourth quarter and salted away the victory as layups by sophomore Sarah Raycroft and Gill, along with a three-pointer by Heaney-Secord, extended the Westwood lead to as many as 17 points at 52-35. The Wolverines played a game of keep-away and chewed out the remainder of the clock to prevail by the 17-point margin.
Westwood will look to continue its winning ways when the Wolverines travel to face rival Medfield on January 26.
For funny and incisive sports analysis, follow Mike Flanagan on his personal Twitter at @fLAno0, or read his blog at www.flannylive.wordpress.com.
