By Tom Haley
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NORTH CLARENDON — The Springfield girls basketball team did not paint a masterpiece Friday night at Mill River but it was plenty good enough to keep the Cosmos undefeated through three games.
“I am happy we came out with the win but we made a lot of errors and we didn’t have the same energy we had in our other two games,” said guard Hailey Perham, who deftly handled and distributed the ball and scored 14 points largely on three 3-point field goals in a 40-24 Springfield win.
Post player Gabby Wardwell led the Cosmos with 18 points and collected bushels of rebounds.
“She has improved her athleticism and can run the floor,” said Springfield coach Pete Peck of Wardwell.
Peck felt the Minutemen came to play and pushed his team, staying within striking distance for much of the game.
When Mill River’s Molly Bruso nailed one of her four 3-pointers just before the end of the first quarter, it cut the lead to 9-8. Minutemen fans had to be hoping another thriller was in the offing after watching their JV team beat the Cosmos by a single point in the preliminary game.
“They hung around and they pushed us,” Peck said. “That is what we need.”
“My kids played hard and they played with heart,” said Mill River coach Brad Rideout. “That is all I can ask right now. I’m proud of them.”
The Cosmos had a strong second quarter and took a 19-11 lead to halftime. They had been up 19-8 but again Bruso beat the buzzer with a trey.
The Cosmos, bringing a 2-0 record into Dean Houghton Memorial Gymnasium, might have thought it would be easier to separate themselves from the Minutemen.
“You never know when you are on the road,” Peck said.
Finally, the Cosmos did put some distance between themselves and the home team. Kaylee Warren connected from the outside, Haley Streeter scored inside, Wardwell scored on a putback and rang up another hoop down low. Perham nailed a 3-point field goal and the Cosmos took a healthy 36-18 lead into the fourth quarter.
It was never competitive again.
Bruso led the Minutemen with 14 points but after that it fell off to Jessica Roberts with five.
The Cosmos have depth among their ingredients. Starters Perham, Jessica Cerniglia, Ashley Chamberlin and Julianna Albero-Levings can all handle the ball and Wardwell has enhanced her outlet pass to ignite the break.
They can also run players into the game off the bench and not see a perceptible drop off.
“I think we have a very well rounded team,” Perham said.
The Division II Cosmos will try to go to 4-0 when Mount Anthony visits Dressel Gym.
The Minutemen fall to 0-4 and Rideout knew it would be a matter of building after inheriting a team that went 2-18.
“You have got to believe in the process,” Rideout said.
It’s all new for Rideout and his players. He was at the helm of the Green Mountain College women’s basketball team last season.
“These players are learning a brand new system. We are confident in them,” he said.
Peck lamented the number of missed lay-ups by his Cosmos and finishing those will be a point of emphasis before the Patriots come to town on Jan. 2.
Follow Tom on Twitter: @RHSportsGuy
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