AMHERST – Less than a minute into Greenfield’s first girls WMass championship basketball game in 29 years, Kristina Reed and Kelsey Richardson were pressed into high-pressure duty.
Samantha Smith picked up two fouls for the Wave against ball-hawking Hoosac Valley just 36 seconds into the game.
The Hurricanes were swarming early, looking for turnovers knowing Greenfield’s big weapon on both ends of the court was on the bench for a prolonged amount of time.
Smith ended up sitting the rest of the first quarter.
“Once she got that second quick one I had to take her out,” Greenfield coach John Hickey said of Smith. “I thought about keeping her in. But they (Reed and Richardson) did what they needed to do to keep us in the game. That’s what good teammates do.”
Reed came off the bench first, followed by Richardson. The duo played mistake-free with Reed even scoring two points. What could have been a disaster for the Wave was only a 3-point deficit after the first quarter.
“It was good to see those two kids come in and do their job,” Hickey said. “At times they played this year, at times they didn’t play this year. Two kids that are coming back next year which is a good sign for next year. If you can handle the pressure against that team, you can handle the pressure against any team we play.”
Richardson just completed her freshman season for the Green Wave. In front of a packed house at the Curry Hicks Cage, she helped break Hoosac’s press without flinching.
“It was terrifying actually,” Richardson said. “I usually don’t go in a lot of games. I was told to be ready but I didn’t actually think it was going to happen. It felt unreal.”
Richardson did not commit a turnover for the Wave during her early minutes.
“I definitely could have done better,” she said. “Just being in there with everyone watching is a different experience. You need to be able to pick up your team. I hope I did that.”
Reed is Smith’s backup and was ready to play, picking up a bucket in the paint at the first-quarter buzzer.
“I was nervous, of course,” Reed said. “Going in for Sam, she is very important to the team. Those are big shoes to fill. Of course I can’t fill them but I try my best.”
Hoosac pulled away in the fourth quarter, winning its sixth WMass championship in the past seven years.
“Even though we lost I think we are a pretty good team,” Hickey said. “The whole night we just couldn’t get a rhythm on offense. We just needed a few more offensive possessions and stops on defense. Might have been a different story.”
