TURNERS FALLS – The Franklin County League South championship is in the hands of the Franklin Tech girls basketball team. 

Needing a win against Turners Falls on Thursday to clinch at least a share of the league title, the Eagles were relentless on defense to make certain a banner would be raised in the Franklin Tech gym after the season. 

Trailing 8-5 in the first quarter, the Eagles defense took over the game. Tech forced multiple turnovers and got easy looks out of it, going on a 15-0 run to take a 20-10 lead after eight minutes. The Eagles kept their foot on the gas in the second quarter, outscoring the Thunder 15-4 in the frame to take a commanding 35-14 lead into the half. 

Turners was unable to find one big run to get back in the game, with Franklin Tech coming away with a 54-26 win on the Eagles’ Senior Night.

“This is a really fun group to coach,” Eagles coach Joe Gamache said. “They have great team chemistry and they support each other whether they’re in the game or not. They get along and we don’t have any internal issues. They come to practice every day and work hard and the results show on the floor.

“Hats off to our seniors — Kendra Campbell, Jill Crowningshield, Kitana Rodriguez and Cailin McClure — and hats off to the group as a whole,” he continued. “We got down early but we woke up and played well the rest of the way.” 

Lea Chapman got the run started in the first quarter for Franklin Tech, scoring down low to cut the lead to 8-7. Chapman scored another basket down low, Hannah Gilbert knocked down a jumper, Chapman got a steal and took it to the rim and finished, Campbell drained a 3, Kyra Goodell got a steal and scored off it before Gilbert got a steal and converted it into a layup, and in the blink of an eye, the Eagles had built a 20-8 lead. 

Tech opened the second quarter the same way it ended the first, with Gilbert, Chapman, Goodell and Campbell each scoring off turnover to balloon the lead to 28-10. 

Taylor Greene halted the run by making a jump shot but Chapman followed it with three baskets in a row down low to put the Eagles ahead, 35-12. 

Chapman and Goodell paced Tech in the third quarter, with Goodell making three baskets and Chapman two to give the Eagles a 50-20 lead going into the fourth quarter. 

“The better team won tonight,” Turners coach Jim Cadran said. “They’ve been the best team in the league all season long and they showed it tonight. There’s no shame to losing to this team.” 

Chapman finished with a game-high 20 points while adding 10 rebounds and four steals in the win. Goodell scored 13 points, Campbell tallied seven points, Gilbert recorded six points and six steals and Trudeau had four points and six steals for the Eagles. Franklin Tech finished with 23 steals as a team. 

Tatianna Williams scored 10 points, Greene, Keira Richardson-Meatty and Steph Peterson each had four points while Abbi Holloway and Madi Liimatainen both had two points for Turners. 

The Eagles now needs one win to clinch the Franklin County League South outright. They’ll play Pioneer on Monday before squaring off with Putnam on Thursday. 

“We’re not done yet,” Gamache said. “There’s plenty of unfinished business. It’ll be nice to put a banner up there. Hopefully we won’t have to share it with anybody but we’ll figure that out next week.” 

Greenfield 55, Hopkins 34 – A 22-point outing from Amber Bergeron powered the Green Wave to a decisive home victory on Thursday night at Nichols Gymnasium.

Greenfield, which improved to 6-10 overall, led 23-17 at halftime. A 17-6 edge in the third quarter put things out of reach.

Tayler Bergeron also had a big night offensively, going for 15 points in the win. Carly Blanchard tossed in six points and Gloria McDonald added five for the Wave.

Hopkins' Sadie Cyr led the visitors with 11 points.

Athol 38, Smith Academy 21 — Emma Bacigalupo led the way with 15 points, as the Bears built a 22-8 halftime lead to pull away with a Franklin County League South win over the Falcons at Mallet Gymnasium Thursday. 

Sammy Mailloux scored seven points, Lizzy Mailloux dropped in five points while Kylah Blundon, Ally Robertson, Brooke Hopkins, Anna Duquette and Jenna Bonenfant each had two points in the victory. 

Mahar 37, Ware 31 — The Sens blazed out to a 25-8 lead at the half but had to withstand a charging Ware offense in the second half, with Mahar ultimately coming away with a Franklin County League North win in Ware. 

Hayden Comeau led the way with 12 points for the Senators. Kendrah Doane and Nevaeh Scribner both scored eight points, Astha Bernard tallied six points while Sophia Woods tallied three points in the victory. 

Stoneleigh Burnham 21, Four Rivers 17 — Leela Clark scored 15 points while Shayla Freeland added two points as the Otters fell to Stoneleigh-Burnham in their final game of the season on Thursday. 

Boys basketball

Mt. Greylock 80, Turners 47 – A 30-7 edge in the third quarter enabled the visiting Mounties to pull away on Thursday night.

Greylock led 39-27 at halftime.

Logan Addison led the Thunder with 18 points, and JJ Charles joined him in double figures with 11. Levin Prondecki added nine points for the hosts.

Chase Doyle led all scorers with 20 points for Mount Greylock.

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