As the Blue Devils gear up for an intense North 2, Group 4 Sectional tournament, their hefty lead against Perth Amboy in the first round looked promising. When junior Sophie Lane stepped up to the foul line with a minute to go in the first quarter, sinking a foul shot and giving Westfield an almost 20-point lead, the Blue Devils knew they were in control of this game. Westfield followed through and defeated Perth Amboy 57-28.
Senior co-captain Catie Carayannopoulos gave the girls a strong start, sinking a jump shot and stayed consistent with frequent two-pointers throughout the game. This resulted from a team effort of constantly moving the ball and working around Perth Amboy’s zone defense. This was demonstrated in Westfield’s 20 team assists. Carayannopoulos said, “Our goal was to swing [the ball] around enough that [Perth Amboy’s] rotations were off, so we could get the ball into the high post.”
Going into this tournament with a sectional title on the line, the team knew they had to fight any complacent mindsets, even if it seemed like their competition was not as tough as it had been in prior games. Head coach Liz McKeon said, “The beginning of the state tournament is a brand-new season; everybody’s on the same playing field; everyone is at 0-0.”
Westfield stayed consistent on offense and defense during the first quarter, only allowing four points from Perth Amboy. Threes from Catherine Oliveira and more points from Lane pushed the team to a 23-4 lead in the first quarter.
The Blue Devils went into halftime 37-10, and this lead prompted them to extend their dominance in the second half. It took some time for both teams to score in the third quarter, with no points being scored in the first four minutes. However, Carayannopoulos and Lane eventually helped to give the Blue Devils a 51-16 lead going into the fourth quarter.
After their sizable win over Perth Amboy, Westfield will go on to face tougher opponents, shaping their outlook on the rest of the tournament. Sophomore Mairin Fowler said, “Going forward, there’s going to be a lot more pressure for us offensively, there are going to be much better defenders, and we just need to trust each other and the work that we put in before this for it to pay off during big games.”
Moving on and shifting their focus to the quarterfinals, the team looks to continue with the offensive and defensive success they have worked on all season. “It’s win or go home. It’s the mentality we have. We have to go out for blood every single game because if not, then that means our season is over,” McKeon said.
The Blue Devils are back in action at home. Westfield, the No. 2 seed, will face No. 7 seeded Piscataway at home at 5:30 p.m. in hopes of extending their playoff run.
