Franklin still perfect
BC High boys get revenge against Newton North
WOBURN — Franklin coach John Leighton didn’t sweat over his team facing their largest deficit of the season in the first quarter versus No. 4 Cathedral.
Leighton had good reason not to as top-ranked Franklin had the right recipe to remain perfect.
Franklin improved to 20-0 as 6-foot-4 center Ali Brigham netted 16 of her game-high 22 points in the second half to lead the way to a 73-56 nonleague win over Cathedral in the Div. 1 championship of the IAABO Board 27 Comcast Classic Monday at Woburn High.
Franklin didn’t just rely on Brigham as Elizabeth Wilson (13 points), Olivia Quinn (16 points, 14 rebounds) and Megan O’Connell (16 points) all scored in double figures too.
“Being down was good for us. It’s good learning wise,” Leighton said. “The girls’ composure was unbelievable. It was business-like.”
Cathedral (13-2) opened a 15-6 lead six minutes into the contest before Franklin roared back with a 22-4 tear to seize control.
Wilson powered the run with three 3-pointers while Quinn and O’Connell both chipped in to give Franklin a 34-22 halftime lead. Mackenzie Daleba (16 points) and Ciana Gibson sparked Cathedral to get within 5248 with 6:24 left, but Brigham and Franklin’s complimentary pieces couldn’t be contained to coast to its 18th double-digit win.
And while Franklin’s record doesn’t have a blemish, it is left wanting to accomplish more.
“We aren’t going to take a day off,” Brigham said. “The day we take a day off is the day after the state championship game.”
In the Div. 2 championship of the tournament, No. 12 Norwood notched its 18th consecutive win by coming from behind for just the second time this season to defeat Braintree (10-10), 4846.
After trailing 26-22 at halftime, Norwood (19-1) allowed just six third-quarter points to jump in front, while Megan Olbrys, who scored all of her team-high 11 points in the second half to go along with 10 rebounds, and Erin Reen (10 points) led Norwood’s offense to come out on top.
“Defense has gotten us here and we really buckled down on defense toward the end of that game,” said Norwood coach Amy Lepley.
In the boys Division 1 final, BC High came out on the winning side, claiming a 7460 win over the No. 11 Tigers.
“The first time we played Newton North, they forced their will on us,” said BC High coach Bill Loughnane. “Our thing was let’s get a little mentally tough, make harder cuts, take it a little stronger.”
BC High (15-4) led wireto-wire as the Eagles jumped out to a 16-2 firstquarter lead. But behind Khalil Lofton (17 points), Newton North (15-5) closed to within 45-40 with 2:18 left in the third quarter before BC High went on an 18-2 run that spilled into the final frame to put the game away.
BC High’s balanced attack, which placed four players in double figures led by Ozzy Trapilo’s 19 points while Mike Loughnane and Drew Martin each netted 15 points and Aidan Carroll chipped in with 12, keyed the tear to avenge last Thursday’s 62-49 defeat to Newton North.
“It’s nice to have more options out there,” said coach Loughnane. “It makes the game easier for us.”
In the Div. 2 title game of the tournament, Kyle Rocker poured in a game-high 27 points and Aidan Cammann scored all 10 of his points in the fourth quarter to lift Andover to a 73-71 win over No. 13 Belmont (16-4).