Cavaliers stay unbeaten

Friday, January 20, 2012

Joe Marchilena photo Hollis Brookline's Katie Stopera looks up at the ball while battling for a rebound during Wednesday's game at Souhegan. The Cavaliers defeated the Sabers 59-46.

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AMHERST – The Hollis Brookline High School girls basketball team had three players account for 53 of its points in Wednesday’s 59-46 win over Souhegan.

But perhaps the most important player for the Cavaliers wasn’t one of those three.

“Rachel King, our big girl, she’s not very offensive minded, but she really changed the game,” HB coach Bob Murphy said. “Inside, she blocked a lot of shots and she led us in rebounds with 11, and she just makes it difficult. They have some kids who can take the ball to the basket, but when all of a sudden, there’s a 6-foot-2 girl waiting for you … she got really good position a lot.”

With the Cavs playing an aggressive zone, the Sabers struggled to find room to get to the basket, and often times, when they did, King was there waiting for them.

On offense, Katie Stopera led way with 23 points while Kelsey Berry and Olivia Gillis each added 15 points for HB (8-0 in Division II).

Jane White led Souhegan (4-3) with 18 points and Ceara McNamara had 15, including three 3s, as the Sabers lost for the second time in three games. And things don’t get any easier for Souhegan, as it will travel to Portsmouth (6-1) on Friday, a team that’s only loss came a week ago against HB.

White scored the first five points of the game, but the Cavs responded with a 14-0 run to take control of the game. A three-point play by White and a basket by Mickenzie Larivee made it a four-point game early in the second, but a 3-pointer by Stopera with 2:13 left in the half completed an 11-2 run by HB and put the Cavs ahead by 13.

Berry hit a 3 with six seconds left in the half, and it looked like the Cavs were going to the locker room with a 12-point lead, but White hit a buzzer-beater from well over half court to make it a 33-24 game.

That nine-point lead was quickly cut to four in the third quarter, following a put back by McNamara and another three-point play by White. But the Souhegan point guard would score just two more points the rest of the way.

“You’ve got to be scared of White,” Murphy said. “She’s a pure shooter and maybe we got in her way in the second half.”

What HB did do was answer. Souhegan trailed by four two more times in the third, but a 3 by Berry at the end of the frame and baskets by King and Berry to open the fourth put the Cavs up 48-37 with six minutes to play. The Sabers would get no closer than seven points the rest of the way.

“We played a real good team tonight,” Murphy said. “That’s what the kids were talking about in the locker room, the third quarter, how we held on to the lead and expanded it. I was pleased they were talking about themselves like that. I’ve got great leaders on this team. There’s a reason we have four captains. They’re very skilled players and they’ve paid their dues.”

HB is one of two teams in Division II still undefeated – Lebanon is the other – and with Milford up next on Tuesday, the Cavs have a shot at being 9-0 at the midway point of the season. HB defeated Milford 48-16 on Dec. 20, and will host the Spartans on Jan. 24 at 6:30 p.m.