Foxboro rallies
Mollica, Ketant lead Warriors to title
Trailing by double digits and with a sectional championship on the line, Foxboro climbed the mountain.
Katelyn Mollica scored 17 points as No. 2 Foxboro girls basketball team overcame an 11-point second half deficit to take down No. 4 Hingham, 57-50, to claim the Div. 2 South title on Saturday afternoon at Taunton High School.
The win gives Foxboro (22-2) its third sectional crown in four years.
“I have a whole bunch of seniors who a year ago would have absolutely folded but they just know they’re resilient and look towards the next basket,” Foxboro coach Lisa Downs said. “It’s amazing. I’m just so proud of the girls.”
Defensively the Warriors were relentless against the Harborwomen’s 1,000-point scorer Grace Bennis. Yara Fawaz — largely tasked with the defensive assignment — held Bennis to just five points.
“We knew we had to focus our attention on Bennis and Yara Fawaz did amazing on her,” Downs said. “(Hingham) is a fantastic team and we knew if they got into a shooting rhythm we would be in trouble.”
Hingham (20-4) led 28-24 at the break, and opened up the advantage to 40-29 behind five early secondhalf points from Riley Blasetti.
After a timeout, the Warriors made their move. Mollica drilled a corner three, Fawaz scored four points and Shakirah Ketant (13 points, 10 rebounds) finished through contact as part of a 13-1 run that jolted Foxboro to a 42–41 lead after three. Foxboro carried its momentum into the final stanza with Ketant hitting a foul line jumper and Lizzy Davis knocking down two at the charity stripe to stretch the Warriors’ lead to three.
Hingham reclaimed the lead, 48-46, on baskets by Caroline Connelly and Blasetti (13 points) but the Warriors answered with Jordyn Collins and Mollica each connecting to put Foxboro up a pair.
Down the stretch, the Warriors played spotless — never turning the ball over and going six-of-six at the foul line to seal the win.
“A lot of our team is older, so having that experience is really helpful when you’re in this position,” Mollica said.
With her sister, Riley, on the bench in foul trouble, Perry Blasetti picked up the offensive slack for the Harborwomen in the first quarter. The sophomore scored eight points in the opening frame to help put her team up 14-11 after one.
The Warriors managed to stay within reach in the first half with its full court pressure translating to some easy baskets. Bennis, however, drilled a deep threepointer off the dribble just before halftime to give Hingham a 28-24 advantage.