TURNERS FALLS — It was like there was a lid on the rim for the Franklin Tech girls basketball team during the opening eight minutes in its season opener against Mount Everett on Thursday.
Franklin Tech was unable to produce a bucket in the entire first quarter, trailing the visiting Eagles 7-0. That lid must have came off in the second quarter, however, as the Tech offense caught fire.
Franklin Tech put up 19 points in the second frame to take a 19-11 lead into the half. Mount Everett made a run in the third quarter but scored just four fourth-quarter points as Tech pulled away with a 29-22 victory in the semifinals of the Eagle Holiday Classic.
“It’s a good start,” Franklin Tech coach Joe Gamache said. “Obviously we started slow as indicated by the score at the end of one [quarter]. The girls battled and had a big second quarter.”
The 7-0 hole Tech (1-0) dug itself into didn’t last long in the second quarter. Kendra Campbell and Kaitlin Trudeau opened the quarter with 3-pointers and Emily Ryan knocked down a free throw to tie the game early in the frame.
Mount Everett scored three points on free throws but it was all Tech the rest of the quarter. Faith Smith scored a pair inside, Campbell and Trudeau knocked down 3’s and Campbell got to the rim for two and suddenly Franklin Tech had a 19-11 lead at the break.
“We were rushing some stuff in the first quarter,” Gamache said. “We weren’t running anything. Once they realized to play within themselves, they had success. The second quarter was an indication of what we can be.”
The offensive explosion didn’t carry over into the third quarter for Tech. A free throw from Cordelia Guerin and a basket from Smith put Franklin Tech up, 22-11, but a 10-0 run by Mount Everett tied the game 22-22 early in the fourth quarter.
That’s when the Tech defense took over, not allowing another the visitors to score another point.
Ryan scored three points in the fourth while baskets from Trudeau and Guerin late closed out the win for Franklin Tech.
“We hustled in the second half,” Gamache said. “It was sloppy and we have a lot of things to clean up. It’s nice to come out with a win. The girls battled.”
Campbell and Trudeau each finished with eight points in the win, Trudeau adding seven steals and five rebounds. Smith scored six points and pulled down 10 rebounds for Tech. Julia Devoti led Mt. Everett with seven points while Emma Goewey scored five points in the loss.
Franklin Tech is back in action Friday, where it will host Hopkins Academy for the Eagle Holiday Classic championship. Tipoff is set for 6:30 at Franklin Tech.
Frontier 65, Palmer 46 — It was the way the Redhawks hoped to start the season.
Dante Ruggiano scored 16 points and Patrick Boyden tossed in 15 points to lead Frontier to a 65-46 victory over Palmer on Thursday.
Tyler Dubreuil recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds while Iain Spearance had six points and dished 11 assists in the win.
Leading 9-8 at the end of the first quarter, the Redhawks offense took off to take a 30-18 lead at the half. That advantage ballooned to 51-22 at the end of the third quarter.
Mt. Everett 54, Franklin Tech 45 — Ty Sadoski dropped 18 points, knocking down three 3’s along the way, but it was Mt. Everett who pulled away with a 54-45 victory over Franklin Tech in the Eagle Holiday Classic on Thursday at Franklin Tech.
Noah Ausikaitis scored 14 points for Franklin Tech. Dylen Shinal and Robert Belval each had four points while Gabe Tomasi, Shinal and David Klempner-Siano each had three steals in the loss.