LYNN — It’s been a magical season already for coach Trevor Gagnier and his Apponequet ladies basketball staff. On Monday, slightly {hardware} got here the Lakers’ approach.
Senior Cecelia Levrault scored a game-high 20 factors whereas freshman sensation Kyla Claro added 19 because the Lakers received for the twentieth time in 21 video games, holding off a pesky Central Catholic staff, 52-43, to win the Spartan Basic.
“The children dug deep in that second half and have been capable of get the job accomplished,” Gagnier mentioned. “Credit score to Central Catholic. They stored combating and made some pictures. However we have been capable of combat by means of it.”
For a lot of the afternoon, it felt like Apponequet was going to breeze to its twentieth win because it opened up a 45-31 lead by means of three quarters. However simply as fast because the Lakers opened up that lead, the Raiders (8-12) started to chip away on the deficit.
Freshman Addie Holmes-Lavallee hit 4 of six free throws earlier than McKenna Devanney scored 4 of the following six factors because the lead had shortly been minimize to 45-41 with 3:10 left.
The Lakers known as a timeout and bought the ball into their senior leaders’ palms. Levrault drove to the basket for an old school three-point play that made it 48-41.
The Raiders minimize the result in 5 within the ultimate minute, however Apponequet put the sport away on the line from there.
“Cecelia has accomplished issues like that every one 12 months for us,” Gagnier mentioned. “She dictates the tempo on offense and protection and had some key baskets for us.”
Claro did most of her harm within the first quarter the place she put up 12 factors, however Central nonetheless held a 16-14 lead.
Levrault did all of the scoring in a 10-5 Lakers run to start the second earlier than Megan Suneson’s buzzer-beating layup made it 26-24 on the half.
Apponequet stored proper on scoring in the beginning of the third because the prolonged run ultimately reached 17-2 on back-to-back threes by Hannah Kuruscak to make it 41-26 with 3:01 left within the body, organising Central’s gallant attempt at a comeback down the stretch.
