The win was the eighth in a row for the mighty Eagles (18-1), who will take on fifth-seeded Division II-East foe Portsmouth High in Wednesday night’s semifinal-round back at RIC. If the Eagles capture that game, they will earn their fifth trip to the Division II finals in the last six years.
The eighth-seeded Townies, who dropped 53-33 and 59-54 decisions to the Eagles during the regular season, conclude their best year in recent memory with a 15-6 mark.
“I know it’s been a while since we‘ve had a season like this,” said EP third-year coach Mike Solitro. “One of the things we get complimented on is the season we had, and hopefully, the season we had puts East Providence girls’ basketball back on the map and gets some interest in the community.”
While this was the Townies’ first trip to the quarterfinals in several seasons, the Eagles were making yet another visit to the Murray Center, and the lack of big-game experience may have played a part in the Townies’ horrific 10-minute cold spell.
After a layup by sophomore Michaela Wiggins gave the Townies their only lead of the game (4-3) with 13:26 still to play in the first half, they weren’t able to buy a point for the next 10-plus minutes.
“You can’t have a drought that’s over three minutes against this team,” said Solitro. “They’re too good and they have too many weapons that can score. Their zone (defense) is tight, but I thought we got some decent looks in the first half. We just didn’t capitalize on them and didn’t our hit free throws.”
The Eagles promptly rattled off the next 19 points. The Townies didn’t score again until Wiggins hit the back end of two free throws with 2:54 left in the half, but the Eagles got back that point on a free throw by Kelly Mannix and went into the break with a 23-5 lead.
“I think the biggest thing with us was jitters,” added Solitro. “We came out and we were a little nervous. It’s a new environment. We never played here before and Barrington has the experience and that was an edge for them.
“But my hat goes off to Barrington. They’re a very good team that’s always right there every year. My kids did everything I asked. The ball just didn’t bounce our way today, and when that doesn’t happen, it’s not your night.”
The Townies managed to trim their deficit to as low as 13 (42-29) with 3:33 to play in the contest when Wiggins rattled off eight straight points, but the Eagles came back with the next seven points.
While the Townies had their offensive struggles and shot 24 percent (14-for-57), they also had a tough time dealing with Barrington’s height advantage. Catherine Matthews, who led the winners with 13 points, Mannix (12), and Carly O’Keefe (six blocked shots) posed the most problems in the paint.
Wiggins finished her night with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and four steals, but no one else scored more than seven points. Stephanie Michalopoulos, who struggled with her shot for most of the night, ended up with just five points and had four assists, and Amanda Cabral also contributed four steals.
Horoscope
