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Pechulis proves she can do it all as East Bridgewater girls score rare win at Rockland

jason snow, the enterprise
·4 min read

ROCKLAND - The East Bridgewater High girls basketball team is spending the regular season hunting down signature wins to lean on down the line.

The Vikings added to their impressive win total by escaping Rockland with a 54-48 victory Tuesday night in a game that will go down as one to remember for the team's seven seniors. It's the first win they've clinched on the road against the Bulldogs in their high school careers and just the program's second in the past decade.

EB (6-1) clung on to a double-digit lead for a majority of the night, and two crucial blocks by senior Allie Pechulis on the final possession denied Rockland's late-game comeback bid. Pechulis then proceeded to step to the free-throw line and seal the win with a pair of makes.

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“A little nerve-wracking -- oh, absolutely,” EB coach Stephen Moore admitted with a chuckle postgame. “We played really well tonight, it was a great team victory.”

East Bridgewater's Allie Pechulis, is surrounded by Rockland defenders from left, Sydney Blaney and Maddie Hermenau during a game on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022.
East Bridgewater's Allie Pechulis, is surrounded by Rockland defenders from left, Sydney Blaney and Maddie Hermenau during a game on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022.

EB was led by Pechulis' 16 points, but also leaned on 13 from senior center Phoebe Katilus and 9 points from senior guard Sophie Bradbury as all seven players in Moore's rotation found their way into the scorebook.

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To start the game, Pechulis scored 7 of her team's first 9 points with a 3-pointer and left-handed finishes down the lane. Combine a crafty, offensive skillset with a standout defensive sequence in a crucial moment and all of the seniors' tricks were on full display.

“We joke about this, but she’s our Swiss Army knife," Moore said. "She can play big, she can play small, she can play guard, she can play forward. She’s kind of like a jack of all trades. She’s so valuable to our team because she can do those things and she’s just getting better.”

“I love that I get to have that nickname," Pechulis responded. "I’m glad that they can rely on me to do whatever they send me to do. I love it.

Rockland defender Julia Elie goes after the basketball held by East Bridgewater's Allie Pechulis, during a game on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022.
Rockland defender Julia Elie goes after the basketball held by East Bridgewater's Allie Pechulis, during a game on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022.

“I’ve been playing since fifth grade - I was tall then and now I’m not as tall," Pechulis added with a laugh, "so I’ve had to learn to play everywhere."

All of the Vikings' wins this season, except Tuesday's, have come by a double-digit margin. EB now boasts wins over Brockton, Middleboro, Abington, West Bridgewater, Sharon and Rockland.

“It’s a sisterhood," Moore said. "They’re really close, they take care of each other and they look after each other.”

East Bridgewater's Erin Condon dribbles past Rockland's Maggie Elie, during a game on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022.
East Bridgewater's Erin Condon dribbles past Rockland's Maggie Elie, during a game on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022.

Rockland was led by a game-high 27-point outing from senior center Julia Elie. Maddy Hermaneau added in 7 and Maggie Elie also chipped in 5, complimenting her playmaking contributions.

“(Julia Elie) going to get her’s. She’s a great player," Moore described the defensive task. "She’s going to have a fantastic rest of her career in high school, then going off to Bentley, she’s going to have a fantastic career there. We just had to scrap, fight and do all the little stuff.”

Maggie Elie sunk a midrange jumper from the right wing to bring Rockland within three in the fourth quarter, but EB's 10-point lead at halftime proved to be insurmountable. Bradbury and senior guard Haley Murphy each hit a pair of 3-pointers in the second quarter to help the Vikings pull away.

Rockland's Maggie Elie drives to the basket between East Bridgewater defenders Sophie Bradbury, left, and Erin Condon, during a game on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022.
Rockland's Maggie Elie drives to the basket between East Bridgewater defenders Sophie Bradbury, left, and Erin Condon, during a game on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022.

“EB executed their gameplan and we failed to execute our gameplan," Rockland coach Diana Newcomb said. "They played hard every possession, we failed to play hard and smart every single possession.”

Rockland's four-game winning streak is now a thing of the past, as Newcomb and the Bulldogs head back to the drawing board.

“There’s two ways you can go after a loss: you can put your head down and say ‘We lost, poor me,’ or it could go the other way, ‘OK, we lost. How do we fix this and not make it happen again.’ It will be how we come in and approach practice tomorrow," said Newcomb.

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: East Bridgewater High girls basketball scores rare win at Rockland