HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL: Bergeron's hot hand lifts Marshfield over Duxbury
MARSHFIELD – After a few makes in pregame layup lines Friday night, Danielle Bergeron had a feeling it would be her night.
In the High School Girls Game of the Week, the Marshfield senior guard scored 18 of her game-high 22 points in the first half to power the Rams (7-3) to a 71-55 victory over Duxbury (7-5).
“She got everyone going early," Marshfield coach Greg Levings said. "That was huge.”
Bergeron netted 10 of the Rams' 20 first-quarter points and poured in four 3-pointers in the first half to inflate the lead to 42-24 at the break.
“In warmups, they were falling," Bergeron said. "The energy the fans brought (was intense), and Duxbury’s a rival, so we knew it was going to be a tough game overall.”
Though her scoring helped Marshfield pull away, it wasn't a Bergeron-dominant offensive game plan. The ball zipped around the perimeter, drives sliced down the lane and open shooters, like Bergeron, were left unattended on the perimeter.
“We did a really good job tonight of moving the ball twice off of our initial (play call). We didn’t stall the ball," Levings said. "A lot of times, it was one person dribbling to the basket and we (kicked) it. We just had great ball movement tonight.”
The player-friendly offense paved the way for many of the Rams to shine in signature performances. Earlier in the season, senior Sydney McCabe scored 25 points against North Quincy, and junior Taylor Brilliant netted 19 against Quincy. On Friday night against Duxbury was Bergeron's turn.
“At any night, one of them can go get us 20," Levings said. "We don’t need them to on a night (where) it's all balanced, but we do have those options. It is nice when everyone gets going.”
Brilliant was tied with junior guard Alexandra Ferris for runner-up in the Marshfield scorebook, as each pitched in 12 points. McCabe had 7.
“It’s great because everyone you pass the ball to, you know you can trust to get it into the hoop," said Brilliant. "It’s just so much easier that way.”
Brilliant showed her two-way versatility in the fourth quarter, as she dribbled the distance to return a forced turnover for two points increasing the Marshfield lead to 59-41 with 6:40 to play. The Rams' biggest lead was 23.
On the other side, Duxbury's young core shined bright. Freshman Lyla Peters drilled five threes en route to a career-high 21 points, and sophomore Molly Donovan hit three 3-pointers of her own to follow with 12. Freshman Ava Welch added 8.
With seven juniors, four seniors and just one sophomore on its roster, Marshfield's window for contention is open, with next year also one to be excited about.
The Rams, now winners of three in a row, trail unbeaten Whitman-Hanson (13-0) and Hingham (9-3) in what is turning out to be a crowded Patriot League Keenan Division.
“We’re really good in this gym, we struggle on the road. We get Hingham and Whitman-Hanson here (upcoming) and we’ll see if we can keep playing like this," Levings said. "Like I said, if we move the ball like that, play with that type of tempo and make shots, they’re a fun group to watch. They really are. It’s good basketball.”
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: H.S. GIRLS BASKETBALL: Bergeron leads Marshfield over Duxbury
