Amanda Accorsi charges up the middle for a shot. (Photos by Lisa Aciukewicz)
The Bromfield girls’ varsity basketball team entered the district playoffs with a 10–10 record Tuesday, Feb. 24, but their opponents, the Lunenburg Blue Knights, ended the Trojans’ season with a decisive 61–36 win.
Last week, the two teams faced off against each other in a much closer game. The score at the end of that encounter was 63–57 Lunenburg, despite a dominant opening quarter from Bromfield, who led by 19–9 at the end of eight minutes.
This time, however, Lunenburg came out strong. Their defense allowed only eight points from Bromfield, while they put 21 points away. Early in the period, junior Amanda Accorsi received a strong pass from senior Amy Jorgensen and scored the first Bromfield basket.
A winning Lunenburg strategy
However, Lunenburg was unthwarted and consistently passed hard, from the 3-point line into the paint. Sophomore Sydney Hudson and senior Samantha Day both scored with these plays, and throughout the game the Lady Knights continued to capitalize on them.
Senior Maegan Cullinan closed out the first half with Bromfield’s only 3-pointer.
The second half went much better for the Lady Trojans, who outscored Lunenburg 18–16.
Hannah LoChiatto goes up for two points.
Lunenburg made the first basket of the second half, but sophomore Hannah LoChiatto became the first Lady Trojan on the board that period.
Sophomore Abbey Pacl was fouled on a rebound and she sank both her shots; but, right afterward, Lunenburg came in with a foul shot and four straight baskets. Senior Brianna Hamel started the run with the foul shot, but sophomore Kylie Hill kept it going with two baskets, and Hamel came back with a 3-pointer to finish out their rally. Bromfield called a timeout.
Within minutes of halftime, Cullinan took a ball to the face. The clock was stopped, and she was taken off the court with a nosebleed. She re-entered the game in the fourth period. The half ended 45–18.
Evenly matched at the end
Accorsi led off the third period with a successful foul shot, and Pacl followed her with two more. Lunenburg hit another four-basket rally, with points from Day and Hamel. Sophomore Lexi Norcross sank two foul shots and a basket before the buzzer sounded.
The fourth period was evenly matched, with each team scoring six points. Accorsi started Bromfield’s offensive with two points. Cullinan followed her with a foul shot. After a Lunenburg basket, senior Kyra Doher grabbed two, and Norcross was the last scorer of the game with two good foul shots.
With this loss, the Trojans have been eliminated from competition for the district title. Lunenburg was scheduled to battle the number-one seed, Millbury, on Thursday, Feb. 26.
Casey Russell is a senior at the Bromfield School.
