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By CONNOR PIGNATELLO

Smith College point guard Ally Yamada escaped the press in the backcourt, dribbled out the final seconds of the clock and jumped into Jessie Ruffner’s arms. Then, she hopped down, violently high-fived Ruffner multiple times and jumped right back into...

By CONNOR PIGNATELLO

WORCESTER — South Hadley girls basketball head coach Paul Dubuc walked into the locker room with his No. 3 Tigers trailing 23-19 to Tyngsborough at halftime of the MIAA Division 4 state semifinals.“If on the Monday after Thanksgiving,” Dubuc started,...

By CONNOR PIGNATELLO

AMHERST – UMass director of athletics Ryan Bamford confirmed on Thursday that UMass will increase its men’s basketball budget upon entrance to the Mid-American Conference for the 2025-26 academic year. UMass spent $4.5 million on men’s basketball last...

By CONNOR PIGNATELLO

ORANGE – The Mahar boys basketball team sprinted out to a 19-3 first quarter lead and didn’t look back, holding Smith Academy to just four made field goals in a 60-15 victory on Friday night in the MIAA Division 5 Round of 32.No. 5 Mahar (16-5)...

By CONNOR PIGNATELLO

GRANBY — When Granby head coach Dylan Dubuc looked back at the film from the Rams’ Western Mass. Class C championship game loss to Mahar over the weekend, he saw a team that had strayed from its identity. Normally a fast-paced, transition-happy group,...

By CONNOR PIGNATELLO

AMHERST — Amherst had the play drawn up. The Hurricanes were going to set a screen and have senior captain Ryder Rietkerk curl off of it with another option behind the 3-point line. But Archbishop Williams blew it up, and Brandon Stewart’s 30-footer...

By CONNOR PIGNATELLO

HADLEY – The 31st-seeded Hopkins Academy boys basketball team jumped out to a 14-0 lead and coasted to a 53-41 home victory over No. 34 South Shore Charter in the MIAA Division 5 preliminary round on Tuesday night at Reed Gymnasium.South...

By CONNOR PIGNATELLO

GRANBY — Ten different Granby players scored points, and the 22nd-seeded Rams recorded a resounding 71-26 home win over No. 43 Calvary Chapel Academy in the preliminary round of the MIAA Division 5 state tournament Monday night.“This was an awesome...

By CONNOR PIGNATELLO

WESTFIELD – For the third time this year, the Northampton girls basketball team came up short against Springfield Central, dropping a 48-30 decision in the Western Mass. Class A championship Saturday afternoon at Westfield High School.Central won its...

By CONNOR PIGNATELLO

HOLYOKE – At the turn of the New Year, the South Hadley girls basketball team sat at 3-3.Fifteen games later, they’re 18-3, and for the first time in school history, Western Mass. champions.On Saturday afternoon at Holyoke Community College, the No. 2...

By CONNOR PIGNATELLO

NORTH ADAMS — As soon as the Granby boys basketball team learned they would be facing Drury in the Western Mass. semifinals, head coach Dylan Dubuc immediately began scouring the Blue Devils’ YouTube channel.Every single Drury home game resides on the...

By CONNOR PIGNATELLO

EASTHAMPTON — Alyssa Frazier played hero for the Williston Northampton girls hockey team on Wednesday afternoon.Frazier ripped the game-winner from the high slot with less than a minute remaining in overtime to give the Wildcats a 2-1 win over...

By CONNOR PIGNATELLO

SPRINGFIELD — In Northampton and Central’s two regular season contests this year, each team won in their home gym and the aggregate score between the two games was separated by just a single point.The difference in Tuesday night’s Western Mass...

By CONNOR PIGNATELLO

GRANBY — Led by strong passing from Gavier Fernandez and smart off-ball movement, the Granby boys basketball team picked apart league foe Palmer’s 3-2 zone for a 51-36 home win on Monday night in the quarterfinals of the Western Mass. Class C...

By CONNOR PIGNATELLO

CHARLEMONT — Led by senior Jon Dunn and freshman Billy Warren, the Hampshire Regional boys alpine skiing team took home its fourth consecutive PVIAC South Division title on a sunny Thursday afternoon at Berkshire East. Dunn beat out Warren by 0.8...

By CONNOR PIGNATELLO

The Smith Academy boys basketball team rode a 22-8 advantage in the second quarter to take a local rivalry win against Smith Vocational, 73-61, on Wednesday night.Greg Stone, Cam Graves and Garret Willard almost combined to score 60 of Smith Academy’s...

By CONNOR PIGNATELLO

EASTHAMPTON – When Emily Hamann joined the Williston Northampton girls ice hockey team in 2020, the Wildcats had never won a NEPSAC crown. They only played five games in her Covid-shortened debut season.But in Hamann’s sophomore campaign, they won the...

By CONNOR PIGNATELLO

HATFIELD – Smith Academy game-planned for her all week. They tried double-teaming her. They tried triple-teaming her.But it didn’t matter. Granby’s 6-foot-2 sophomore center Aubrey Parent dominated inside for 21 points to lead the Rams (10-7) to a...