Westfield fans gathered in the stands waiting for Summit to arrive. The clock was ticking, and Westfield parents began to joke that they might have to suit up and play. Right on cue, the Hilltopper squad walked sluggishly through the gym doors. By the time Summit had warmed up and was ready to play, it was down 29–5 and the first half had ended.
The relentless Blue Devil defense only allowed Summit to convert one field goal in the entire first half. That field goal came with six minutes to go in the first quarter, and the Hilltoppers were only able to convert on two free throws throughout the remaining 14 minutes of the first half.
Coach Liz McKeon was happy with the first half, saying, “Everyone got in, in the first half, because, you know, people going down in foul trouble, or people just being tired coming back. I’m really proud of their mental toughness to stick with it in the second half.”
Mental toughness, as McKeon alluded to, was a major factor in the Blue Devils’ early success. It would be very easy for a team to come out lackadaisical when the opponent shows up a half-hour late, as well as coming off a tough loss to an excellent St. John Vianney team, however the Blue Devils did the exact opposite.
Jumping out to an early 4-0 lead thanks to a Sara Rooney layup and an Annie Ryan steal and score, the Blue Devils began to get hot. After Summit hit a 3-pointer to respond to Ryan and Rooney’s respective buckets, the Blue Devils went on a 13-0 run to end the quarter. Paige Gorzyca led the way for Westfield during the opening frame, as she scored 7 points in the quarter, 11 on the night.
The second quarter was much of the same for the Blue Devils. The tenacious defense led to great offense on the other end, as Westfield did not allow a single basket in the second quarter, only two free throws. The Blue Devils commonly turned steals and blocks into transition layups and easy opportunities to head to the free-throw line.
However, midway through the quarter, Westfield players and fans held their breaths as Sutton Factor slipped on her own and went down with a non-contact ankle injury. Factor, able to stand up on her own power, remained on the sidelines for the rest of the game.
Speaking on her injury, Factor said, “It was just a slight tweak, [my ankle is] a little sore. I can still walk; movements [are] good. I am looking to just ice tonight and recover tomorrow with the late practice. I should be good to go this weekend.”
The second half storyline remained the same. Defense. Defense. Defense. Westfield tallied 27 steals on the night as the swarming Blue Devil defense suffocated the Summit offense and led to Hilltopper turnovers.
In the waning minutes of the third quarter, the gates flooded open. Cara Van Allen and Rooney each connected on 3-point bombs, and Westfield dominated the offensive glass, earning second-chance opportunities and points. Everything was falling for Westfield, and on the other end for Summit, things fell apart even more.
Despite the lopsided score, Summit was determined to not go away. The Hilltoppers opened the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run, but the deficit was simply too great to overcome. When the final buzzer sounded, Westfield won its first game of the new year, 48–24.
“[This win] shows what we are capable of, but we still have a lot more to do. We can continue to get better, and we are never going to settle,” said McKeon.
With the win, the Blue Devils improved to 4-3 on the season, with senior night approaching. The girls will square off against rival Scotch Plains-Fanwood on Saturday night at 7 p.m. and will look to continue their success against the Raiders as the Blue Devils have come out on top in the last seven meetings. The Blue Devils will then host Oak Knoll on Tuesday, and will look for revenge against New Providence on Thursday.
