Foxborough Girls' Season Ends with Playoff Loss to Hopkinton

The Foxborough girls' basketball season ended Friday night as the Warriors were eliminated from the MIAA Division 2 Girls’ Basketball tournament. Facing fourth-seeded Hopkinton Hillers, the Warriors put up a fight early but, could not keep up with the Hillers, losing 62-41.

Both teams started the game with quick baskets as Foxborough senior Kayleen Whall picked up where she left off on Wednesday with a fast two-points to start off the game. Both teams would go back and forth trading baskets as Hopkinton showed that they could also play an aggressively defensive game similar to Foxborough.

Tied with a little over a minute to go in the first quarter, Hopkinton made Foxborough pay for turning the ball over with a five point surge to break a 17-17 tie and take a 22-17 lead into the second quarter.

“We looked a little tired mentally and physically today. We came out of the gate good and we hit the wall,” said Foxborough coach Sarah Behn.

Hopkinton’s offensive dominance would continue in the second half. Led by senior Lindsey Doucette’s 13 points in the first half, the Hillers would take the 5-0 surge from the first and turn it into a 13-3 run. Hopkinton slowed down the Foxborough defense by playing a half court press that left the Warriors struggling to get the ball past midcourt.

Leading 35-22 at halftime, the Hillers were successful at controlling the pace of the game and preventing Foxborough from getting good looks at the basket.

As the second half began, Doucette continued to lead the Hillers getting two quick baskets to start the half.

“Lindsey played a balanced game of rebounding, steals, and defense. She did so many of the little things that make a difference in a game,” said Hopkinton coach Rita Atkinson.

On the defensive end, Hopkinton’s half court press continued to hurt Foxboro. Unable to get baskets, the majority of Foxborough’s points in the quarter came from the free throw line as baskets were hard to come by and good looks at the basket were even harder. Late in the third the Warriors tried to get back in the game with a 5-0 run but the Hillers were too strong, continuing to dominate the third and the fourth quarters.

In the end, Hopkinton’s defense was simply too strong as the Hillers would win by 19. Strong defense and hot shooting would lead Hopkinton to victory. “We mixed it up all night between a little zone and a little man-to-man and you know a little half court press. We just used our length and our speed to create turnovers,” said Atkinson.

“A week and a half ago. they didn’t make one three against us. Tonight. they probably had eight or nine,” said Behn.

Doucette was the game’s leading scorer with 25 points and 10 boards to get a double-double. For Foxborough, Kayleen Whall scored 11 points for the Warriors and Leigha Tacey led the team with 13 points.

While Foxborough’s season is over, Hopkinton will play a semifinal game against eighth-seeded Bishop Feehan. The Shamrocks recently upset the first seed Medfield to get to the semifinal game.