Girls basketball: Ava Azzaro, Northampton rally past Holyoke, 69-67 (PHOTOS)
Published: 01-12-2023 11:27 PM |
NORTHAMPTON – After playing from behind the whole contest, Northampton pulled off a comeback for the ages against Holyoke on Thursday night, walking away with a 69-67 victory. Ava Azzaro paced the Blue Devils with 30 points in the win, while Bianca Ortiz had 28 for Holyoke.
Holyoke flew out to a 9-0 lead, propelled by stellar play from Ashley Vazquez and Ortiz. The 9-0 run forced a Northampton timeout, but there was little the Blue Devils could do to slow the visitors in the opening frame.
By the end of the first, Vazquez had 11 points and Ortiz had 10 for the Purple Knights, who had a commanding 13 point lead at the end of the first, up 26-13.
Azzaro stepped up for the home team in a major way in the second, putting up 15 points and giving the Purple Knights fits. Holyoke relied mostly on Ortiz again in the second quarter, also getting contributions from Evangeline Cauley, Shyanne Hall, and Kiara Perez. Vazquez kept up her strong play, but getting in foul trouble forced her to the bench for the last few minutes of the first half.
Holyoke went into halftime with a 43-33 lead.
Northampton pulled to within seven early in the third quarter with three points from Jordan Hutchins, but Holyoke managed to pull away again, building up a 10-point lead again. Late in the third, Northampton went on a 6-0 run from Chloe Derby and Hutchins, making it a 49-45 game, the closest they’d gotten since the first frame. Holyoke’s Ortiz calmly sank a triple, and though the Blue Devils made it a four-point game again, the Purple Knights went into the fourth with a 56-50 lead.
Northampton whittled away at Holyoke until a triple from Bri Heafey tied the game and then a three from Chloe Derby gave the Blue Devils their first lead all game. Northampton held off Holyoke for the remaining three minutes to secure the win.