Magical season ends for Westport girls basketball after hard fought game against Sutton
SUTTON — The sixth seed Westport girls basketball was at a disadvantage in Friday’s playoff matchup with third-seed Sutton.
The Wildcats were without a starter and reserve player before their Division V Elite Eight tilt.
It got worse for Westport as junior captain Sarah Perry crumbled to the ground on the Stephen C. Romasco gymnasium with 33.9 second left in the first quarter with a leg injury and did not return.
Instead of folding their tents, the Wildcats fought with the heart of champions until the very end.
“This is a true testament that these kids just have fire in them,” said Westport head coach Jen Gargiulo after falling to Sammies & Suzies, 46-35. “Man did they fight. I put a lot of pressure on a few kids and they stepped up. It stinks, but I’m proud of them.”
Senior captain Theresa Sartiah paved the way for Sutton (20-3) with a team-high 14 points. Eighth grader Courtney Clemens had 12 points, including three huge three-pointers in the second half. Sophomore Camryn Kinne sank two big three-pointers in the corner during the fourth quarter.
It is the first Final Four appearance for Sammies & Suzies in school history. They will face Springfield Int'l Charter at a time and date to be determined.
Coaches Confidential:Which high school basketball coach do you fear most in the playoffs?
Head coach John Doldoorian said after the game, Westport did a great job.
"Coach [Gargiulo] was down a couple of Westport kids," he said. "Honestly, we watched them enough on film and felt our little eighth grader Courtney Clemen's main thing was shooting threes. We decided we were going to run some stuff for her and it happened to work.
"[Westport] did a great job. Leah [Sylvain] is such a good player. [Jenna] Egbe I thought had an absolutely, outstanding game. She had a number of blocks and scored more than we thought she would score. I thought she had a really good game."
Without Perry in the game, senior captain and 1,000-point scorer Leah Sylvain along with junior captain Korynne Holden had to shoulder much of the offensive load for more than 24 minutes.
On to Elite 8:Unlikely heroes sparked Westport girls basketball win in MIAA tourney
“I’m so proud of this team,” said Sylvain, who finished with a game-high 15 points, seven rebounds and three steals in her final high school game. “Meghan [Molloy] stepped up and she had to play the wing, which she has never done before. She did amazing. Shelby [Orr] stepped up. I could not be more proud of this team.”
Holden agreed with his best friend.
“Yeah it was tough but I've never been prouder of the team because I think girls stepped up in a way no one expected to,” she said. “I thought it was great and we played amazing. We did make any excuses and played with our hearts.”
As the Sutton girls celebrated with their Final 4 trophy and banner, the Wildcats (18-5) held their heads high knowing they had a season to remember.
"I feel I had a successful career here at Westport," Sylvain said. "I scored 1,000 points my junior year and made it to Elite Eight my senior year along with my freshman year. I couldn't be happier."
How it happened
Both team struggled from the field in the opening minutes of the first quarter. Clemens' three pointer gave Sutton a 7-4 lead. Westport tied the game on a Holden steal and lay-in. Sartiah's putback beat the buzzer and the Sammies & Suzies took a 9-7 lead.
In the second quarter, Sartiah's work on both ends of the floor enabled Sutton to take a 20-13 at halftime. She scored seven points in the quarter and contributed three blocks on defense. Westport was held to just four free throws and a field goal.
"[Theresa] is a wonderful person," Doldoorian said. "She is such a great kid and humble as can be."
Sylvain took over in the third quarter, scoring seven points as the Wildcats cut the deficit to one at 22-21. She then drove to the basket to give Westport its only lead of the game at 23-22.
Egbe picked up her intensity, scoring a basket and blocking three shots late. She finished with five points, team-high 12 rebounds and four blocks. A free-throw by Sartiah gave Sammies & Suzies a one-point lead (28-27), heading into the fourth quarter.
Three point shooting by Clemens and Kinne put the game out of reach with under three minutes to play.
Holden finished with nine points, two rebounds and eight steals.
Gargiulo's message to the team after the game
"I told the kids don't hang your heads on this one. We fought for each other and we had an outstanding season with outstanding leadership. That's all a coach could ask for. I'm proud of them. They did awesome."
NOTES
Sylvain finished her career with 1410 career points. "I've never coached a player like her," Gargiulo said. "She's a dynamite ball handler, sees the floor and dynamic on defense. She creates her own opportunities. It must be tough to play against and she never quits. She is the heart and soul of this team. I've been lucky. She has had more of an impact on me than I've had on her" ... Sutton's defense held Westport to single digits in three of the four quarters ... Clemens will take part in a national three-point contest in the near future.
Box score
Sutton 46, Westport 35
Westport
Sarah Perry 0-0-0, Jenna Egbe 2-1-5, Meghan Molloy 0-2-2, Korynne Holden 4-1-9, Leah Sylvain 4-6-15, Shelby Orr 2-0-4, Molly Costa 0-0-0. Totals: 12-10-35
Sutton
Madi Cruz 0-0-0, Theresa Sartiah 5-4-14, Izzy Marois 1-0-2, Camryn Kinne 2-0-6, Samantha Fadden 0-2-2, Courtney Clemens 4-0-12, Claire Acocelli 2-1-5, Ava Carroll 0-7-7. Totals: 13-14-46
Westport 7 6 14 8 — 35
Sutton 9 11 8 18 — 46
Three-pointers: Westport — Sylvain; Sutton — Clemens (4), Kinne (2)
Herald News and Taunton Daily Gazette sports editor Steven Sanchez can be reached at ssanchez@heraldnews.com. You can follow him on Twitter @Chezsports. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News today.
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Westport ends magical season with loss to top seed Sutton
