GLOUCESTER— The Gloucester girls basketball team came into Tuesday night's game against Winthrop looking to do two things.
First they were hoping to avenge a loss to the Vikings early in the season in a game Gloucester felt it should have won. More importantly Gloucester wanted to pick up its tenth win to qualify for the state tournament.
Thanks to a strong second half where they outscored Winthrop 32-16, the Fishermen got everything they wanted Tuesday night in a 53-35 win at the Benjamin A. Smith Fieldhouse. Gloucester moves to 10-5 with the win and will play for seeding the rest of the way.
"This is where we want to be," head coach Lori Sanborn said. "I'm proud of the girls because they earned this. We really wanted this one tonight not just to get into the tournament but to avenge an earlier loss to them. Talent wise we thought we should have beat them last time."
Gloucester took 22-19 to the break in a back and forth first half where neither team led by more than five points. But it was the third quarter where Sanborn's squad took control of the game.
Gloucester opened its lead to 28-19 with a 6-0 run to start the frame and maintained that lead heading into the fourth quarter ahead 37-28. Gloucester's defense was stifling in the fourth holding the Vikings to just two field goals in the frame and only three the entire second half. Winthrop didn't knock down its first basket until there was 2:20 left in the quarter.
The third quarter was especially satisfying for Sanborn given that the team has struggled in the second half recently.
"At halftime the message was dominate the third quarter," Sanborn said. "We have struggled a little in the second half recently but not tonight, we did exactly what we needed to do. They pressed so we got out and ran and started playing much more aggressively."
The Fishermen opened up the lead in the fourth and a Heather Cain three point play got the lead as high as 19 points.
Cain led the way with 21 points and 16 rebounds, Audrey Knowlton had 17, now needing 16 to reach 1,000, to go along with 14 rebounds while Sophie Black chopped in eight points to go along with seven rebounds.
"Heather was outstanding again with 21 and 16," Sanborn said. "I think I love the way she rebounds more then her scoring and that's saying a lot. When she wants the ball she's getting it. And when Sophie Black is going on the offensive end we are a tough team to defend.
Katie Ciaramitaro played her usual lockdown defense and drew high praise from Sanborn.
"Katie got after it on defense like she always does," Sanborn said. "She was dominant tonight and she disrupted their offense."
