After a strong season, the Walpole Girls basketball finished 13-5 and a Herget title after a four year drought. The Rebels were looking to end their season on a positive note heading into the Walpole Hoop Classic.
Hosting the annual Rebel Classic on Tuesday, February 15 and Wednesday, February 16, the home team was set to face some of the hardest competition they had seen all season—Oliver Ames, undefeated and ranked first in the state, in the first round, and either the winner or loser of the Medfield, Norwell match-up, with Medfield being ranked third in the state.
The Rebels came out strong against the top-ranked team, getting a fast start behind a quick 3-point play by senior Captain Bridget Nicholson, after she made a layup while being fouled and finished her foul shot. On their next two possessions, senior Captain Lauren Bodin took over, scoring two quick layups and forcing Oliver Ames to call a timeout to slow the Rebels’ momentum. Oliver Ames responded after the time out, scoring two back-to-back three-pointers and exchanging baskets with Walpole for the remainder of the quarter, with Oliver Ames taking the lead at 16-14.
The second quarter started how the first quarter ended, with both teams scoring back and forth. Junior Bri Doherty made a layup to start the quarter and Bodin hit a three-pointer before the momentum turned in favor of Oliver Ames, who scored eight unanswered points to end the half leading the hosts, who were unable to finish shots, 30-19.
The second half began much like the first half, as the momentum once again seemed to be in favor of the Rebels. Sophomore Summer King started the half by stripping an Oliver Ames player of the ball under Walpole’s own basket and putting it up for two points. The Rebels were able to get a stop on the defensive end, followed by a Nicholson three-pointer and a layup by King. After an 9-5 run in Walpole’s favor, Oliver Ames came alive once again after calling a timeout and went on an 8-0 run to end the quarter, keeping a comfortable lead at 43-28.
The fourth quarter saw even play from both teams, as King hit a layup to get the final eight minutes started, followed soon after by a three-point shot by an Oliver Ames guard. After committing two quick fouls, Walpole called a timeout with six minutes remaining and senior Darci Bruce hit a three-pointer immediately after, followed by a transition layup by Oliver Ames. Bodin kept Oliver Ames in check, however, taking a charge on the defensive end of the court. The Rebels ended the game with two made shots by Nicholson and Bruce, but were unable to make up for OA’s runs in the first and third quarters, falling to the Tigers 39-53, sending the Rebels to the consolation game.
In the consolation game on Wednesday, the Rebels were set to play the visiting Norwell Clippers. Play was generally equal throughout the first quarter as Bodin got play started for the hosts after a quick Norwell basket with a breakaway layup. King followed her on their next possession with a three-point shot and Bruce added a three-point play of her own, getting fouled on a layup and knocking down her foul shot. Norwell then counterattacked by scoring seven unanswered points before Doherty scored a short jumper with only a few seconds remaining, ending the quarter with the Rebels trailing 13-17.
The hosts controlled most of the second quarter play, getting scores from six different players. Doherty finished a layup, followed by a Norwell player finishing two free throws after being fouled. Bodin then took her second charge of the tournament, with freshman Kat King scoring a jumper on the next Walpole possession. After a Norwell timeout, a Norwell guard knocked down a deep three-pointer to put the visitors back up by five with four minutes remaining. But, that was the last time the Clippers scored in the first half as Bruce and King each scored on Walpole’s next two possessions. After a defensive steal by Walpole, junior Nell Sandvos scored a three-point play, getting fouled on a made layup and then scoring on the free throw. Nicholson ended the half by scoring two free throws, giving the Rebels the lead at 26-22.
Coming out to a slow start in the second half, the Rebels committed two turnovers early, forcing them to call a timeout with four and a half minutes remaining in the quarter. Summer King scored after an offensive rebound, followed by a three-pointer by Norwell. Despite a turnover on Walpole’s next possession, sophomore Julie Moser took a charge on the defensive end to get the ball back in the Rebels’ hands. After both teams went back and forth but failed to finish, Nicholson drove to the hoop and made the layup while getting fouled. Although she missed, Bruce was able to pull down the rebound and put the ball back up for two more points to end the quarter.
Summer King came alive in the fourth quarter, scoring ten points before fouling out to help pull the hosts within three points of the Clippers with under thirty seconds to play. After two made free throws from Norwell, Nicholson made a deep shot from beyond the arc to keep the Norwell’s lead under four points. With such little time left, Walpole was forced to foul to stop time, allowing Norwell to go two-for-four from the free throw line in the final seconds of the game, securing the 55-51 win over the Rebels. Bodin said, “Even though we added two more losses to our record, they were both to really good teams and playing these games is only going to benefit us as we head into the postseason.”
