Pelham girls basketball picks up the pace, cruises past Campbell for fifth win in a row

PELHAM - The Pelham High School girls basketball team was playing well enough to win early in Thursday's game against Campbell.

But when the Pythons were able to play at their pace, they were unstoppable.

Pelham successfully pressured Campbell the entire length of the floor and got the inside-outside game working on offense, with Danielle Sirois and Olivia Gagnon leading the Pythons to a 62-30 win over the Cougars in a non-division game.

Sirois led the way with 20 points and Gagnon added 19 points, including three 3-pointers, as Pelham (7-1 in Division II) took control in the second quarter by outscoring Campbell 24-5. The Pythons forced 11 turnovers in the quarter and turned a five-point game into a runaway with a 10-2 run early in the frame.

"We had a big second quarter," Pelham coach Bob Shepard said. "You need to have that because it’s hard for high school kids to have four good quarters. I’m not sure we’ve ever had it.

"We’ve got the best inside player, for Division II and maybe the whole state, in Danielle Sirois. And then the point guard, Olivia Gagnon, is a terrific, terrific player. If we dish it back out, she’s going to hit open shots. That inside-outside game is huge."

Sirois had seven of Pelham's first 12 points in the second quarter, as the Pythons went up 22-9 with 4:39 left in the half. Then it was Gagnon's turn, as she hit a jump shot and then a 3-pointer on back-to-back possessions.

"They just opened it up," Campbell coach Andrew Gora said. "They’re phenomenal from the outside, their bigs are unbelievable. They’re just a solid, fundamental team and they play good basketball."

The Cougars (2-4 in Division III) got seven points from Caitlin Newell while Gabrielle Scott had five points. Campbell was able to keep things close through the first quarter, trailing 10-5 by slowing down the tempo and walking the ball down the court when it could.

But the Cougars were unable to maintain that in the second quarter.

"We were coming out and (trying) to go high-tempo, and they’re not," Gagnon said. "We have to be able to play at our level. We have to not let them slow us down. Once we get going and get our groove going. Once we’re hitting shots, it starts to just come. If your shots on, your shots on, and you just keep going with it."

Pelham led 34-10 at halftime, but Campbell scored back-to-back baskets to open the second half and cut the lead down to 20. But that would be as close as the Cougars would get, as the Pythons led by 21 after three quarters.

"Pelham has a lot size and a lot of speed, they’re pretty athletic," Gora said. "Second half we were a lot better, a little more relaxed, and some good things happened. We can compete with them and that’s what we were looking to do."