NORTHBOROUGH – In a Friday night matchup, the Algonquin Regional High School Titans girls basketball team led from start to finish, ultimately defeating the Shrewsbury Colonials by a score of 55-24 and securing a playoff spot.
Sophie Hjerpe led Algonquin in scoring with 15 points, while Ashlee Dameri added 12 points. Teammates Zoe Oelkers, Sadie Candela, and Charlotte Richmond each scored 6 points.
In an interview with the Community Advocate, Algonquin girls basketball coach Melissa Fustino said the game was a “team win” and “everyone played well.”
“That’s what’s great about our team,” she said. “It’s not just one kid; it’s multiple kids helping out [and] stepping up to help us win.”
The Titans’ defense was solid throughout the night, holding Shrewsbury to just 24 points. In a meeting between the two teams on Jan. 17, the Titans had allowed 39 points.
Both coaches noted the importance of press defense in deciding the game’s outcome.
Shrewsbury girls basketball coach Nate Skermont told the Community Advocate that the Titans’ press defense gave them “some trouble.”
“We struggled to put the ball in the net,” he said. “Hats off to them.”
Fustino celebrated Algonquin’s defensive improvement.
“We’re really getting better with [press defense]. We were able to turn them over and get out and run,” she said.
For Shrewsbury, Ava McGregor led the scoring with 5 points. Sabrina Nault and Alyna Eggleston each added 4 points.
In an interview, Skermont mentioned that Riley Flynn had been key to the Colonials’ effort that day, saying that he “really liked the way she worked.”
The Colonials, now 3-13, will face Leominster on Tuesday. Skermont said the team needs to “keep working in practice” and “work on all aspects of the game.”
The win secures a playoff spot for Algonquin and improves the team’s record to 10-7. The team will play Concord-Carlisle High School next.
Fustino said the team hopes to “keep getting better and improving [their] standings for the postseason.”
