March 28, 2024

H.S. Basketball: Dighton-Rehoboth scores fast and furious in victory

Girls Basketball: Dighton-Rehoboth 61, Wareham 42

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DIGHTON - The Falcons tied the game, took the lead and pulled away in the blink of an eye.

Literally.

Ella Damon hit a three-pointer from the corner early in the third quarter to knot Monday’s game against Wareham at 25-25. Emily D’Ambrosio then made a huge steal off the inbounds pass for an inside bucket and a foul, completing the three-point play that gave the Falcons a lead they would never relinquish in a 61-42 win over the visiting Vikings.

“I think it was a little bit of a balloon-popper, definitely a spark,” D-R coach Chris Perron said of the six-point flash. “Emily sparks the team always and I think it’s contagious.”

The quick offensive barrage was certainly contagious as it keyed a 14-2 run. Buckets by Damon, Jenna Kelley, D’Ambrosio and Meg Reed followed as the Falcons turned a 25-22 deficit into a 36-27 lead.

The Vikings got a couple of baskets to close the gap to 38-31, but an inside bucket by Reed, two free throws from Megan Reilly and a three-pointer by Briana Malaguti to open the fourth quarter put the Falcons comfortably ahead 45-31 in the final frame.

Wareham was in the game throughout the whole first half, getting good looks and hitting shots against D-R’s zone press before the Falcons took off in the third.

“We had a little change of pace in our defense,” Perron said of the key third quarter, when the Falcons outscored the Vikings 22-11. “We kind of backed off defensively. They were throwing some fine skip passes against our pressure and we had trouble recovering to their shooters. We backed off and tried to play good half-court defense and challenge them early in the shot clock.”

The Falcons improved to 2-1 (2-0 South Coast Conference) with the win and are back in action next Friday at Apponequet at 6:30 p.m.

REPORTERTODAY.COM MVP: D’Ambrosio did a lot of everything on Monday, leading the Falcons with a game-high 23 points and almost recording a triple-double with nine assists and nine rebounds while adding five steals and a blocked shot. “She’s just a smart, smart player,” Perron said. “She’s an all-league player for a reason. She scores off her defense and challenges the other team’s best player. A lot of her points are unscripted; she’s earning them with her effort on the defensive end.” She hit two three-pointers and was a perfect three-for-three from the charity stripe.

SENIOR LEADERSHIP: Reed, the Falcons lone senior who shares captain duties with D’Ambrosio, was a force in the middle for D-R, finishing with 15 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three blocks and a pair of steals. “Meg had a real good night,” Perron said. “She was able to get downhill and score. Meg’s a smart player who plays with senior leadership and you can’t coach that. She has a very good head on her shoulders and I’m really proud to have her as a captain on this team.” Longtime Wareham coach Dave Brogioli was very complimentary of Reed after the game, telling The Reporter “(Reed) was tough for us to handle. She did a really nice job. She’s a good running big, she gets up and down the court really well.”

HELP FROM BEHIND: D’Ambrosio’s steal and bucket to finish the six-point swing early in the third was a big turning point in the game, and Perron was quick to point out what was happening behind the play that made it happen. “I give a lot of credit to the back row of Meg Reed, Caroline Reed and Jenna Kelley,” he said. “Our guards can’t pressure unless the back row is getting it done.” It was one of many examples of solid defense by the Falcons on the night.

MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT: The Falcons lost on opening night to Bishop Stang, but have since won two straight South Coast Conference games against Fairhaven and Wareham to improve to 2-1 on the season. “It’s turning one more page, but I keep telling them, we’re reading a 500-page novel,” Perron said of the long season ahead of them. “It’s a marathon. So far, I’m very happy with the way these kids have worked and the support we’re getting. The team defense tonight in the third quarter helped us get the lead we needed. Let’s hope we can do that the rest of the season.”

QUICK HITS: Malaguti’s three-pointer started the fourth quarter off on the right foot for D-R. “I thought Brianna did a nice job coming off the bench,” Perron said. “She sparked us with a couple good shots.” The sophomore guard finishing with five points and two steals. … Damon continues to impress in her freshman campaign as she had eight points and three assists on Monday evening. … Grace Cerrato led the Vikings with 10 points. “At halftime, I felt pretty good about our team,” Brogioli said of the 20-20 score at intermission. “Then four minutes into the third, it seemed like the wheels came off and we just couldn’t settle back down. We did some great things when we executed well, and we mixed in some things well, but we struggled with pressure. We got a lot to work on.” Perron said that although the score was a 19-point win for D-R, the game was much closer than that. “Wareham stretches you out,” he said. “Dave does a great job with those kids. They challenge you to play tough defense for the whole shot clock.” … The Vikings have a quick turnaround as they are slated to play Saturday at 1 p.m. at Paulo Freire Social Justice Charter School a couple of hours down the Mass Pike in Chicopee. … The Falcons outscored the Vikings 41-22 in the second half. … Perron pointed to the transition defense as an area of improvement after Monday’s game. “We need to scramble properly. We have a lot of work to do in that area.” … D-R has won the last two SCC games by a combined 117-65 score. … Next Friday’s game at Apponequet will be a huge test for the Falcons. “That’s a tough home gym to play in,” Perron said. “We have our work cut out for us.”

DIGHTON-REHOBOTH 61, WAREHAM 42
Wareham                  11   9 11 11-42
Dighton-Rehoboth  10 10 22 19-61
Scoring
Wareham: Grace Cerrato 10, Amanda Johnson 7, Laura Pinkston 8, Mollie Johnson 2, Olivia Nascimento 8, Tiara Duarte 7.
Dighton-Rehoboth: Briana Malaguti 5, Jenna Kelley 4, Ella Damon 8, Emily D’Ambrosio 23, Megan Reilly 6, Meg Reed 15.
3-point goals: Wareham-Grace Cerrato 2, Amanda Johnson, Tiara Duarte; Dighton-Rehoboth-Briana Malaguti, Ella Damon 2, Emily D’Ambrosio 2.
Records: Wareham 1-3, Dighton-Rehoboth 2-1.

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