Sports

Last-Second Shot Sinks Stoughton High Girls' Basketball

Notre Dame Academy (Hingham) scored the game-winner with six seconds left, handing the Black Knights a 47-46 loss in Stoughton's season finale. Senior Sydnee Jackson ended her high school career on a high-note with 17 points.

Just as they had Monday afternoon against , the Stoughton High girls’ basketball team entered the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s game against Notre Dame Academy (Hingham) trailing by nine points.

In both games of the Girls’ Basketball Showcase at Sharon High, the Black Knights dialed up the pressure on defense in the fourth quarter and chipped away at their deficit, taking one point leads in the final minutes of both games.

However, they were unable to hold on for the victory in either contest, losing to Holliston and falling 47-46 in heart-breaking fashion to Notre Dame.

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After two free throws from junior forward Chrystal Holland, Stoughton retook the lead, 46-45, with 15.4 seconds remaining in Tuesday's game. But Notre Dame’s Alexandra Dalton raced to the hoop and put in a layup with only six seconds left, scoring the game-winner.

Senior Forward Sydnee Jackson’s last-second layup attempt fell short as time expired. With the loss, Stoughton ends the season at 5-13.

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“It was a little upsetting, nerve-racking [when Notre Dame scored], but we kept it together, tried to get back down the court, but unfortunately didn’t get it to the hoop fast enough,” Jackson said of the final seconds of action.

The Black Knights held a 10-7 lead at the end of one, a 26-23 lead at the half, and either led or were tied for the entire first half and for the first four minutes of the third quarter, but an 11-2 Notre Dame run to close out the third gave the Cougars a 39-30 lead heading into the final period.

“We played a great first half,” Stoughton head coach Janet Sullivan said. “Good defense, great offense, we were doing what we needed to do—getting into the post.”

But Sullivan said her team got away from the inside game in the second half, particularly the third quarter, when the Black Knights were outscored 16-4.

The team employed a “five soft defense”—a zone defense with some trapping—to help erase the nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter. Stoughton outscored Notre Dame 16-8 in the final period, however, Notre Dame scored when it needed to most, as the clock was winding down.

“They had to manage to get through [the defensive pressure], which they had not done all half, but give them credit, when they needed the basket, and they needed to go coast to coast, they did it,” Sullivan said.

Like Monday’s game against Holliston, Stoughton was able to draw fouls when their shots weren’t falling, and get to the free throw line. While Stoughton scored six of their last eight points at the line on Tuesday, the team was only 9/16 from the stripe in the fourth quarter against Notre Dame.

Jackson led the way for Stoughton, scoring 17 points. Jackson and sophomore center Nicole Daniels (12 points), combined to give the Black Knights a presence in the post.

“Sydnee had a strong game today. She really stepped it up. She was a big, powerful presence inside,” Sullivan said. “Daniels came through with back to back great games.”

Sophomore guard Mackenzie McGrath had 8 points, while Holland added six.

Sullivan said she was proud of her team’s effort this week and over the course of the season. Stoughton started out the year 0-6, put finished a much-improved 5-7 in the final 12 games.

“Any group of kids may have quit at that point, and they didn’t,” Sullivan said.

“I think you saw in the fourth quarter [against Notre Dame] the tenacity they’ve shown all year long.”

Watch the full interviews with Coach Janet Sullivan and Sydnee Jackson in the media gallery above.


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