Old Rochester Regional girls basketball survived and advanced with Saturday’s 40-38 win over No. 3 Falmouth in the Division 2 South girls basketball quarter finals. The Bulldogs entered the road contest as underdogs, and fell behind the Clippers early, trailing 10-5 after the opening quarter and 16-15 at the half.
However, after making some adjustments, ORR was able to flip the script. Above all else, the Bulldogs made sure to maintain their focus in the second half.
“Keeping our cool and composure (was the toughest part of the game),” junior forward Mary Butlersaid. “It’s, like, very high-pressure. Anything can happen, so we try to minimize our mistakes and we need to calm our nerves. So, we played [the] basketball we know how to play [and] that was probably the biggest thing we had to do.”
Butler herself led the team with 11 rebounds, nine points, and five steals in the game. This all came in spite of the fact she was ailing an injured ankle from practice the day before the contest.
“She is playing with an ankle that most people would be on crutches,” Old Rochester Regional coach Bob Hohne said. “You would not have known it. But that’s the type of competitor she is. And I think everyone on the team responds to her leadership and the strength that she shows in a game. I’ve been coaching this for 41 years and she might be the toughest female competitor I’ve ever had.”
ORR’s strong defensive play was not limited to Butler alone. Maggie Brogiolihad three blocks, while Meg Hughesfinished with three steals to go with her three rebounds and three assists.
“We’ve got some very good defensive players, but the problem is, when we put that total defensive unit out, it’s hard for us to score,” Hohne said. “I’ve always gone with the phrase ‘defense wins ballgames,’ and I mean that’s what we chose. … We had to go with the defense to try and keep [the score where it was], and that’s what we did … it’s what we’ve done all year.”
Old Rochester Regional (18-4) heads to Taunton on Thursday for a 5:00 pm to take on No. 2 Hingham (19-3) in the Div. 2 South semifinals.
Old Colony
Old Colony boys basketball’s season has come to an end. The fourth-ranked Cougars ran into the tough No. 6 Cohasset, who put on a display of skill, athleticism, and regiment in the 77-52 finish.
The Skippers had an unforgiving 2-2-1 press that played a major role in the Cougars turning the ball over 23 times in the loss. Cohasset relies on it every game, so Old Colony knew to game plan for it. But they still struggled to safely make their way through the defense.
“It was excellent,” Old Colony coach Matt Trahan said about the press. “I know my team: I think we could’ve done a much better job with it. But it’s tough to simulate a 2-2-1 with your own team when the other team’s running it. I just think we should’ve stayed away from the traps, and we talked about that. It’s kind of deflating in the fact that your team’s been good all year and you ran into a damn good team.”
Cohasset also had a strong outside game, finishing with nine three-pointers. Their sharp-shooting and full court press, combined with an efficient fast break offense, made it impossible for Old Colony to gain an edge.
“I think it was a mixture of all of it (that made them so challenging),” Old Colony guard Zach Soucysaid. “I think the press, we were just breaking it the wrong way. They were trapping us in the corner and we should’ve gone to the middle.”
Jake Jasonled the Cougars with 26 points and seven rebounds. He and Soucy each had three assists. Hunter Soaresscored six points for Old Colony, while Soucy, Jo Jo Cortes, and Tony Wrighteach finished with five.
Old Colony graduates five seniors: Jake Jason, Zach Soucy, Tony Wright,Patrick Murphy, and Connor Halle.
“I told them, it’s like any coach who deals with a tram and the type of team I’ve got, they become a second source of your family. I spend so much time with those guys,” Trahan said. “You love to see them improve their game. But I think the hardest thing is we close the book and you don’t go to the gym tomorrow. It really is difficult.”
High School Sports Update
By Nick Friar