Strong First Quarter Leads Stoughton High Girls' Basketball to Victory at Milford

With 11 different players scoring, the Stoughton High girls' basketball team won at Milford in convincing fashion Friday night, 49-21.

With the win Stoughton improves to 2-1 and 1-1 in the Hockomock League's Davenport Division, bouncing back from Tuesday's 48-27 loss to Sharon at home.

Friday night Stoughton jumped out to a 15-5 lead after the first quarter and never looked back. The Black Knights took a 29-13 lead over Milford into the half, and a 41-17 lead into the final quarter of play, eventually coming away with a 28-point victory.

Stoughton Head coach Janet Sullivan said the key to the first quarter success was the effectiveness of the press of defense; forcing turnovers and converting those turnovers to points on the other end of the court; and the tam's outside shooting - Mackenzie McGrath hit a pair of three-pointers and Ashley Medeiros added another, which provided nice balance with an inside game led by Nicole Daniels.

"They were concerned about our inside game with [Daniels], they were worried about our outside game with the shooters and our press was working. Everything came together in the first quarter and basically we just rolled along from there," Sullivan said.

Daniels led the way with 12 points overall, while McGrath added 10.

Leiandra Busby had 6; Medeiros had 5; Taitenna Thomas and Sarah Purcell both had 4 points a piece; and Emma Zuk, Ariene Ohimor, Megan Crimmins, Emily Cramer and Kayla Motley all added 2 points each.

Sullivan said she was impressed with the play from Cramer, Crimmins and Purcell.

"It was a great team effort, a great team win," Sullivan said. "We go into the holiday break on a positive note."

Stoughton will take part in the two-game Hingham Holiday Tournament Thursday and Friday, Dec. 27 and 28.

***

Photos in the gallery by Molly Zuk.

***