WINDSOR, Vt. – Despite an impressive second half by Springfield, the home Yellow Jackets did enough in the first half to create separation on the scoreboard and rode an early lead to a 61-49 win Friday night.
Windsor’s early pressure on defense and unselfishness on offense helped them put together a 10-2 run over the final minutes of the first quarter, as they led 20-10 after one quarter of play.
While Springfield was struggling with the Yellow Jackets’ early full-court press, Windsor was getting out and running, and sharing the ball.
“We’ve got to get out of the habit of getting out of control a little bit… I think we turned ourselves over,” said Springfield head coach Joseph Costello. “They do play an intense defense but some of those turnovers were us feeling it more than it was there.”
Midway through the second quarter, the Windsor lead reached 15 points when Olivia Rockwood drained a three-pointer from a few steps behind the arc. Sophomore forward Ashley Grela then added back-to-back buckets late in the quarter, one off of a nice dish from Rockwood, and the Yellow Jackets built a 37-19 halftime lead.
Rockwood did a nice job of making the right decisions on offense all night, whether it was taking the shot when it was there or dishing to her teammates.
“She plays unselfish… she’s a complete player who wants everyone else’s success as much as her own,” said Windsor head coach Bruce Mackay on his junior guard. “She’s a great teammate… some of those passes… I told the girls ‘If you go to the middle, be ready for the ball because you’re going to get it.’”
In the first half, Rockwood poured in 14 points on her way to a game-high 23. The Yellow Jackets’ other junior guard, Angelina Bigwood, scored 11 first-half points. She ended her night with 14.
In the second half, Springfield outscored Windsor, 30-24.
Windsor came out of their press to start the second half and the Cosmos started to pick away at the lead in multiple different scoring sprees.
Senior guard Hannah Crosby had 11 of her 21 points come in the second half, as she was handling the ball, aggressively attacking the hoop, and finding teammates for the Cosmos.
“Hannah put a complete game together,” said coach Costello. “Most of the game, Rockwood was on her, but she still played under control.”
Another bright spot for Springfield was junior forward Gabby Wardwell, who put together 8 points in the final frame, in part of 16-point outing. Wardwell was in-and-out of the lineup for the Cosmos last season as she dealt with the injury bug, but on Friday night she seemed to always be in the right place at the right time, grabbing big rebounds and finishing around the rim.
“Gabby’s ceiling is as high as anything… she’s tough to defend with her height and she’s improving every day,” said Costello.
Springfield still trailed by 19 after three, and slipped down by 20 with 5 minutes remaining in the game. But, after a timeout by Costello, they made a run at the defending state champs.
The Cosmos put on a press of their own, which seemed to catch Windsor off guard a bit, and they went on a 13-5 run to end the game strong.
“They’re a good team… they did a lot of nice things and they didn’t quit,” said Mackay about Springfield after the game. “I give [Costello] a lot of credit… they should be happy the way they played… especially in that second half.”
Costello also gave a nod to the opposing team after the game, saying, “Hat’s off to Windsor… I thought they played a complete game. They played fast, made shots and executed.”
Windsor (4-0) returns to action on December 27, as they hit the road against Thetford for a championship rematch from last year. Windsor beat Thetford in overtime to open this winter. After four straight home games to open this season, the Yellow Jackets are on the road for the next six.
Springfield (1-2) returns to action after the holiday break. They host Twin Valley on January 2.
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