WRENTHAM, Mass. – Coming into the playoffs, King Philip was allowing the third fewest points per game in the league (behind only league champs Franklin and Oliver Ames). The Warriors clinched their spot in the tournament by allowing fewer than 30 points in each of the final two games of the regular season games, winning both to get back to .500.
On Tuesday night at the Wooden Gym, KP’s defense was on display again, holding Plymouth North to only two free throws in the first quarter and only seven points (on two made baskets) in the fourth, to earn a 45-33 preliminary round victory.
“That’s one thing I’ve been focusing on every day, so I’m glad to see it paying off,” said first-year KP coach Jeff Miszkiewicz about his team’s scoring defense. “I think in our down spurts there, they sped us up a little bit and the key with us is, once we speed up, we have to run our stuff correctly and once we do that then we seem to handle it.”
While things on the other end of the floor weren’t always running smoothly, KP could lean on junior Emily Sawyer to get big baskets when it needed them. The 6-foot-3 center scored 16 points (10 of them in the second half), grabbed 17 rebounds, and blocked four shots, as she once again controlled the paint against an under-sized Eagles front line.
“We’ve been working with her all year on getting her proper angles, and she threw a head fake today, which was great because I’ve been telling her to do that all year,” said Miszkiewicz about Sawyer. “She’s been on fire and I wouldn’t want to have to guard against her.”
KP came out with plenty of energy to start the game and took control in the first. Elizabeth Molla buried a three from the wing on the opening possession to put the Warriors in front. KP would never trail in the game. Sawyer followed up with the other six points in the first, scoring on a put-back, on a nice post move, and then a layup off a feed from Liv Lafond.
Plymouth North struggled to create any good looks at the basket. Sawyer clogged up the middle and nothing was falling from the outside. The Eagles were drawing fouls, but were 2-of-6 at the line in the first (10-of-23 for the night) and went to the bench down 9-2.
Megan Banzi got the first made basket of the night for the visitors to cut the lead to four. Jackie Bonner (five points), who returned from a wrist injury for the final two games of the regular season, drilled a three to push the lead back to five. She would finish with five points, but Bonner’s return to the lineup and threat from the perimeter is a big boost for KP.
“She just makes a difference just by being on the court because she spaces out teams just by being out there,” Miszkiewicz said about having Bonner back. “We’re trying to build back her confidence coming off the injury, but it’s really great having her out there because, even though she’s not a captain, she’s a leader on the team.”
Banzi scored six points in the second and helped the Eagles battle back to tie the game at 13 apiece. With Lafond and Julia Marsden both on the bench for most of the period with three fouls (and limited to very little time in the third as well, after picking up their fourth fouls), the Warriors got timely help off the bench.
Kylie Watson (seven points) made a nice backdoor cut and got a pass from Sawyer to put the Warriors up for good. After a Jordan Bennett steal, Leah Santoro banked in a three (her only points of the night) to send the Warriors to the locker room up 18-13.
A nice reverse by Bonner and a layup for Watson got KP going in the third, but the Eagles started to find the range and kept it close. Mackenzie Hohulin (10 points) and Taylor Voci (five steals) both knocked down big threes to stay within two.
Marsden (five points) answered with a drive to the basket and Sawyer got free on the block for two more. Bennett then fought for a rebound on the base line and went back up strong to push the lead to 34-26 heading to the fourth. Watson then pushed the lead to double digits for the first time when she opened the quarter by drilling a three.
“I told them before the game, I don’t know who I’m going to need in what situation,” Miszkiewicz explained. “We had Jordan Bennett inbounding the ball against the press, which she hasn’t done all year, Kylie Watson with a really great steal to end the third quarter. That type of experience is invaluable. I think the bench has really, really stepped up over the last few weeks and did again tonight.”
Hohulin answered back with a three of her own, but Plymouth North would score only four more points in the game. Molla drove and dished to Sawyer for a pair and then Sawyer grabbed an offensive rebound for two more points. Marsden went 3-of-4 at the line to seal the win for the Warriors.
King Philip (11-10) advances to face the No. 2 seed, Wachusett, on Friday night in the Round of 32.
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