Bishop Guertin girls basketball makes statement in win over Braintree

NASHUA – The Bishop Guertin High School girls basketball team once again flexed its muscles with another out-of-state victory against a New England powerhouse.

On this occasion, the Cardinals welcomed to town Braintree (Mass.), the reigning Division I champions in Massachusetts, who also won titles in 2014-15.

None of that apparently scared Bishop Guertin away, as the Cardinals stayed undefeated by utilizing a 27-point first quarter and points from eight different players during a wire-to-wire 69-43 win on Sunday afternoon.

“It was a good day and it is hard not to be happy with that performance,” said Cardinals coach Brad Kreick. “The kids were dialed in from start to finish. They played a very solid game and did everything that we asked them to do. We executed very well against a very good basketball team.”

Junior guard Erin Carney dropped 11 of her game-high 20 points in the third quarter for the Cardinals (14-0). Junior forward Brianna Wilcox might get overlooked sometimes because of the depth of talent on BG, but she continued to be strong on both ends of the floor and finished with 10 points.

Guertin did a good job getting to the line, connecting on 16 of 23 free throw attempts. Playing in her final regular-season home game, Cardinals senior guard Gabrielle Sousa showed up in a big way during the first half, connecting on four 3-pointers.

“I could not be happier for Gabrielle,” Kreick said. “You could not have scripted it any better for her on Senior Day. She is just a great ‘program’ kid – works hard every single day and never complains about anything. I was really happy to see her step out like that (Sunday) and have that kind of game.”

Leading the way for the Wamps (13-4) was senior guard/forward Jeniyah Jones, who finished with a team-high 13 points. Braintree was without one of its stars in senior guard Adriana Timberlake, who missed the game due to a sprained ankle. She was named the Bay State Conference Carey Division MVP last winter, but Braintree coach Kristen McDonnell was not about to make any excuses, giving the Cardinals a great deal of praise.

“I give BG all the credit because they have so many weapons,” McDonnell said. “We played every defense we have. When we trapped them, then they got open shots, and if you play them man up, then it is hard to keep them in front of you. They are that good, but I am still very proud of my kids for coming in here and playing hard, especially since Adriana was out.”

The Cardinals forced Braintree to take two timeouts in the first 3:27 of play, as they built a 15-3 lead on a layup by junior guard Hannah Muchemore. A layup by Carney with three seconds left gave the Cardinals a 27-12 edge.

Sousa buried a right-wing three-ball with 3:15 left in the first half, which pushed the Cardinals’ lead up to 37-17, and then the senior standout buried a right-wing 3 at the buzzer, sending the hosts into the locker room with a 42-22 edge.

BG opened up a 26-point lead on a left-side jumper by junior forward Ava Owens (eight points, 4 for 4 from the line) early in the third, but the Wamps made a little push with a 7-0 run, concluding on a layup by Jones with 3:31 left, trimming the deficit down to 50-31.

The Cardinals regained their form after a timeout by Kreick, and they extended its lead to 59-37 heading into the fourth on a layup by Owens with five seconds left, as BG won all four quarters.

“The kids played with great energy (Sunday), Kreick said. “They found the right balance between playing with energy and speed, but at the same time not rushing. I thought that was the key.”

The Cardinals will suit up for a 6:30 p.m. battle at Windham on Tuesday.