Sometimes, no matter what the other team throws at you, there’s just no answer. Such was the case Friday night as Masconomet’s girls basketball team took down Marblehead, 53-21.
The Chieftains came out blitzing in their man-to-man press, forcing Marblehead into early turnovers. The constant pressure led to a 7-2 lead out of the gate.
Over time, the Magicans got more comfortable against the press with point guard Samara Dosch beating her backcourt defender to start the offense. Unfortunately for Marblehead, when it got the ball over halfcourt, its offense struggled.
The Magicians put up nine first-half points to trail, 23-9, at the break.
“We were outclassed. No excuses. Masco came in and came ready to play and we didn’t,” said Marblehead coach Paul Moran. “They beat us in every category, but it’s my fault. I didn’t do a good enough job of getting the team ready.”
Despite the lopsided scoreline, the Magicians never gave up.
In the first half, junior Greta Sachs caught eyes with an emphatic chasedown block. After the swat, Sachs sprinted down the court and was rewarded with a layup.
The hustle continued late in the game. Trailing by double digits, junior Hailey Schmitt dove on the floor for a loose ball to save it from going out of bounds. The ball landed to a teammate and was worked around before Schmitt completed her highlight with a corner jumper.
It’s often said that teams can learn more from a loss than a win. One thing the Magicians can hold their hats on is effort.
“The kids gave a great effort. I just didn’t do a good enough job of getting them ready for tonight,” Moran said. “I thought they worked and played hard, but as a coach, you’ve got to get your team ready and I didn’t do that. I did a terrible job and the loss is on me tonight.”