Mascenic’s Division IV tournament upset bid came crashing down quickly Monday night in Newmarket.
“They came out knocking down shots,” Mascenic head coach Sean Young said after the No. 7 Mules’ 60-34 first-round win over the No. 10 Vikings. “It was the best shooting night they’ve had all season long. They’ve been waiting for a game like this.”
Newmarket’s Brianna Fillion scored a game-high 19 points with four three-pointers as the Mules went on a 14-0 run in the first quarter and effectively put the game away.
Young switched from a 2-3 to a diamond-and-one to stop Fillion, at which point Nicole Berry (12 points) caught fire; Young switched to a triangle-and-two, and Newmarket countered with 6’4” freshman Lena Nicholson, who had her way in the paint.
The Vikings, missing senior Alannah Johnson to a family vacation, were overwhelmed.
“It’s not their fault,” Young said. “That’s what happens to young teams.”
Senior Shelby Babin scored a game-high 19 points for Mascenic and left it all on the floor in her final game as a Viking.
“She just refused to quit where a lot of players would have quit,” Young said. “It’s a microcosm of how she is as an athlete. She as a senior can walk out with her head held high.”
Mascenic, the youngest team in Division IV, got their underclassmen plenty of experience this season. Over the weekend, the Vikings won their JV tournament, with Hannah Zina on second team, Mackenzie Cormier on first team and Skye Lambert tournament MVP.
“We have a bright future here as a program,” Young said.
The Vikings (11-8) tied the program record for wins this season. Despite their returning core, next year may be more difficult for Mascenic, as the Vikings are expected to move back to Division III next season.