Published: 1/25/2022 9:13:21 PM
Modified: 1/25/2022 9:12:07 PM
SOUTH DEERFIELD — The top team in the Franklin County League North looked the part Tuesday night.
All 14 players that dressed saw the floor for the Frontier girls basketball team, and nine Redhawks scored points in a balanced 46-20 victory over Greenfield at Goodnow Gymnasium.
Frontier, which never trailed in the victory, improved to 9-2 on the season, and a perfect 7-0 in the FCL North. It was the fifth win in a row for the Hawks.
“We’re trying to create depth right now because we know that’s going to make a difference come the end of the season,” Frontier coach Dave Machon said.
Buoyed by its defense and rebounding, Frontier led 15-7 after one quarter and 26-13 at halftime. Visiting Greenfield (3-6, 2-3) struggled to get the ball inside against the Hawks, and when they did, opportunities were usually limited to one and done.
“We always preach defense, for sure,” Machon said. “That’s been important to our mantra — we just get after it. Locking down defensively and being aggressive, that’s kind of been the formula to our success so far this year.”
Kylie Laford got the offense going from downtown, as the junior guard hit a trio of 3-pointers in the first half and finished with a team-high 13 points. Her 3-pointer early in the second quarter extended the Hawks’ lead to 18-7.
Senior Kaitlyn Mackin, who joined her in double figures with 11 points, helped put things out of reach with a dominant run inside. The forward scored the final four points of the second quarter and helped key a 6-0 run out of intermission to make it a 32-13 advantage.
Greenfield, which dressed just seven players, never got closer than a 19-point deficit the rest of the way. Lillia Kachelmeyer registered 13 points for the Green Wave, while Azemina Cecunjanin had the other seven points for the visitors. It’s a young team for veteran head coach John Hickey, as Greenfield started three freshmen and had an eighth-grader on the floor in the team’s seven-player rotation on Tuesday.
Behind Laford and Mackin, Frontier received five points from Hailey Hutkoski, and four apiece from Abby Howard and Delaney Fifield. Alena Maes-Polan hit a 3-pointer in the victory.
On the strength of the hot start to the season, Machon said that he’s hoping Frontier can keep it going as the league slate continues and eventually into the postseason.
“We want to put a banner up,” the coach explained. “It’s been a tough couple years. The seniors we have here, they’ve had a lot happen over the course of their careers and it’s been difficult so we want to give them a banner to close it out the right way.”
Frontier looks to stay unbeaten in the league when it hosts Lenox on Thursday night in South Deerfield. The last time the two teams meet a week ago in the Berkshires, Madison McKemmie’s buzzer-beater lifted the Hawks to a 28-26 victory.
Greenfield returns home Thursday to welcome Ware for a 6 p.m. tip at Nichols Gymnasium.