North Attleboro Marks Playoff Return By Beating Agawam, 49-18

Monday, February 24, 2025

Source: hockomocksports.com

NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. – This season, the Rocketeers are very young, starting two freshmen and two sophomores and having as many freshmen on the playoff roster (three) as seniors. Despite its youth, North booked a spot in the postseason for the first time in eight years and hosted 16-win Agawam on Monday night at the Pickering Gym. After a nervous start to the game, North went on a 21-2 run between the second and third quarters, locked down on defense all night, and ran away with a dominant 49-18 victory.

“A big thing we’ve been stressing all year long is how young we are and being able to get into a pocket of peace is super important for us,” said second-year North coach Ashley Kepaa. “If we can regulate ourselves, regulate the game, keep our own tempo, and then defensively force turnovers, that’s what we’re looking for.”

Senior forward Maryellen Charette was thrilled to cap her four-year varsity career with a tournament berth. “I think it’s crazy. I went into the locker room and said to Sam (Sweeney), the other senior captain, four years in the making,” Charette explained. “This is one of the things I was telling Ashley at the start of the season, my goal is to make playoffs and now that we’ve made it, it feels great.”

North’s focus at the start of the game was pressuring the ball and forcing turnovers. It was mission accomplished, as sophomore Ava Pratt (11 points, seven rebounds, and three assists) had six of her eight steals in the opening quarter. Agawam was held to just two made field goals, a layup off a steal by Isabella Laprise and a jumper by Sophia Laprise.

The problem for the home team was an inability to convert turnovers into points at the other end of the floor. North managed only two made field goals of its own in the first eight minutes. Sweeney scored off an assist from freshman Jordan Egan, and sophomore Emma Faria drilled a three that made it 7-2.

It was 8-4 after one and the Brownies continued to hang around for most of the second quarter. Charette (seven points and six rebounds) got four quick points and Egan (10 points and 10 rebounds) scored on a put-back that made it 16-6, but Agawam got four quick points from Bella Laprise to cut the deficit back to six.

A quick flurry from North at the end of the half gave the hosts a cushion going to the locker room. Great ball movement around the outside of the Agawam zone gave Charette a wide open look from the corner for a momentum-shifting three. Pratt then knocked down an open jumper to build a 21-10 lead.

That little burst of energy at the end of the half carried over to the third quarter. North outscored Agawam 16-2 and took complete control of the game.

“They had a two-point quarter,” Kepaa said. “The third quarter curse is over for us. We’ve really figured out how to come out of halftime and have a good quarter and not let up the pace.”

Pratt started the third by picking the pocket of an Agawam player and racing clear for a layup. Egan scored off a Charette pass and classmate Isabella Houghton (seven points and seven rebounds) knocked down a pull-up jumper on the baseline. Houghton then powered through lots of contact for a tough finish in the lane and got a steal and assist on an Egan basket.

Uliana Malynka worked hard for a pair of offensive rebounds, either side of a Houghton jumper, turning one into a basket and the other into a pair of free throws. North went to the fourth with a commanding 37-12 lead.

Egan turned a steal into a fast break layup and Sweeney scored four points in the fourth, including a layup after freshman Riley Rea’s steal and dish. Pratt would score North’s final six points to get into double digits for the night. Senior Isabelle Milot set up the first by grabbing an offensive rebound, while sophomore Gracyn Cuzzi got the assist.

Although no one on the current roster had been to the playoffs before, North Attleboro (8-13) settled into the game and looked very comfortable on the postseason stage. Next up, the Rocketeers face a trip to No. 2 seed Dartmouth on Thursday night.

“I think for the culture and the future of the program it’s super important for them to see it’s possible for them to start winning again and that their hard work is paying off,” Kepaa replied when asked about the impact a playoff win could have on her young team. “They worked really hard to get to this point.”

Charette, who came off the bench on Monday night, was asked about the growth of her young teammates over the course of the season. She replied, “I’m proud of them. I’m completely fine sitting and having them go in to make big plays just like they did this game.”