Wamps lose way

Golden Eagles press for win

SPRINGFIELD — It was an adjustment that caught Braintree off-guard.

SPFLD. CENTRAL 61 BRAINTREE 45

Down by 10 points at halftime of the Division 1 girls basketball state championship game yesterday, Springfield Central switched defenses to a fullcourt zone press in the second half to send the Wamps spiraling.

With no answer for the press, Braintree was denied of a third state title in four years. The Golden Eagles prevailed, 61-45, at the MassMutual Center.

The Wamps (21-5) were outscored 41-15 over the final two quarters.

“They changed their style in the second half,” Braintree coach Kristen McDonnell said. “They trapped us more and pressed us more. We just weren’t able to get it over that front line (of the press). We got a little flustered early and they got some adrenaline and momentum on their side. To their credit, they played a great second half and we couldn’t come out with it.”

With Springfield Central (22-3) switching to its suffocating press, Braintree’s offense was immediately thrown out of sync to start the third quarter. The Golden Eagles capitalized, starting the second half on an 8-0 run and then extending their range.

Springfield Cathedral missed its first 17 3-point attempts, but Sha’raya Haines hit back-to-back treys for a 37-33 lead with 2:22 left in the third quarter.

With her team out of rhythm, Keelah Dixon (14 points) tried to give the Wamps life at the end of the frame when she intercepted a pass and drained a trifecta at the buzzer to close the gap to 38-36. But the offense still couldn’t get going in the fourth quarter, despite Mackenzie Moore (12 points) knocking down a 3-pointer to get the Wamps within three, at 4441, early in the stanza.

Haines, who scored all of her game-high 17 points in the second half, answered with another 3-pointer and Springfield Central forced 28 Braintree turnovers on its way to a title.

“All of our adjustments came on the defensive end,” Golden Eagles coach Erik Maurer said. “We switched up from more of our manto-man that we were playing in the first half and went to our zone press. We just had success with it.”

‘They changed their style in the second half. They trapped us and pressed us more.’ — KRISTEN McDONNELL Braintree coach

STAFF PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER EVANS BLOCK PARTY: Braintree’s Isabella Tonetti gets her hand on a shot by Springfield Central’s Jaliena Sanchez during the third quarter of yesterday’s Division 1 state final at the MassMutual Center in Springfield.