By Matt Schooley
MILFORD – The Pelham High School girls basketball team used its size to
keep pace with Milford High School, but the Spartans eventually sprinted away
from the Pythons, winning 72-50 thanks to a huge fourth-quarter run.
Following three quarters of play during the Tuesday, Jan. 22, contest, the now
2-10 Pythons trailed 5-8 Milford, 47-44.
The fast-paced Spartans, however, opened the final quarter with a 22-4 run, leaving
the visiting Pythons in the dust.
“They wanted it more, and went after the ball and made plays,” said
Pelham head coach Tim Powers, whose starting lineup didn’t include any
seniors. “We’re a young team, and we had a hard time getting adjusted
to what they could do out of timeouts and breaks, and we just didn’t handle
it too well.”
Coming out of the half, Milford took a 30-29 lead and extended it to double digits,
scoring the first nine points of the third quarter. Pelham quickly responded
with a run of its own, outscoring the Spartans 11-3 to close to 42-40.
Pelham received solid play from its forwards; Briana Szidat and Jacqui Perry
tossed in nine points apiece, while Brittany Croteau led all Python scorers with
12 points.
The Spartans used their guard play to turn the game into a track meet, however,
thanks to 18 points from junior Melanie Forte and swarming defense leading to
fast breaks throughout.
“We could beat the pressure and get some layups, and our defense was good
at times,” said Powers. “We did bits and pieces fairly well, but
we have to remember that it’s a 32-minute game, not just 24.”
The two teams previously matched up less than a month ago, as Pelham again played
the Spartans tight, losing 51-43 on Jan. 8. The Pythons have lost their last
two games by at least 20 points, as Pelham lost on the road to Kennett, 60-40,
on Jan. 18.
“We have to work on everything,” said Powers. “We need to improve
in all aspects of the game, but we’re just going to keep taking a game
and practice at a time.”
Kayla Bailey chipped in seven points off the bench for Pelham in the loss to
Milford, which head coach Tim Powers said came down to the Spartans’ speed.
“They were quick and tough, and when you don’t have the speed to
match that, it puts you at a big disadvantage,” he said.
The Lady Pythons beat Monadnock, 54-46, on Friday, Jan. 25 before losing a 48-47
heartbreaker to Laconia the next day.