Girls Basketball Team Going Strong

Lady Mustangs 1 Win Away from State Tourney Bid; in Hunt for GBL Title

– Allison Goldsberry

The 9-2 girls varsity basketball team is just one win away from clinching a state tourney bid. The team is 4-0 in the Greater Boston League and the GBL title is on the line with impending matchups with Somerville and Cambridge.

The Lady Mustangs will host Cambridge on Friday, February 4 at 7PM and a game scheduled for Tuesday with Somerville has been postponed due to the weather.

Last Tuesday, Medford was on the road again traveling to GBL rival Everett. The Mustangs raced out to a 24-16 lead at half time. The team was led by junior captain Tania Holmes, who added sixteen points and five assists, and junior Emily Welch, who had ten points and seven rebounds. The Mustangs were able to increase the lead to eleven points in the second half and held on down the home stretch, narrowly defeating the Crimson Tide 46-44.

Playing only their second game at home, the Lady Mustangs came out of the box early taking a 20-15 first quarter lead against Georgetown last Wednesday. The second quarter saw the Mustangs lose junior Jackie Pellechia, who went down with an ankle injury. Sophomore Alleah McAuslande-Ace came off the bench to score a career high fifteen points while also contributing six rebounds. Junior Katherine Ellersick came off the bench and added three points and five rebounds while playing tenacious defense. Holmes added sixteen while senior captain Kasey Moran and Welch chipped in with seven each in the 63-50 victory.

Head Coach Leo Burke said the back-to-back victories were a “total team effort.”