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AUBURN, Mass. - Thursday evening was special for Auburn High's Girls Varsity Basketball: it was senior night, their 70-37 victory put them in a SWCL tie, and the bench saw lots of playing time.
The Rockets took early advantage of the Warriors as senior Sarah Palace and junior Lyndsey Gabrielian shot back-to-back three's and senior Erin Scanlon followed with two more points. Palace ended the first quarter with another three, giving Auburn a 28-8 advantage.
Coach Ellen Kaschuluk substituted the bench early, giving spectators a glimpse of what next year's team will look like. Senior Jordann Hauge maintained her strong defensive posture, and the half ended 39-14.
The Warriors never got things going in this game despite Coach Goyette's multiple time outs to get his girls focused. Many of Tantasqua's field goals were due to the inexperience of Auburn's younger players, but this is not a weakness. As the game progressed their teamwork and confidence improved. Playing time builds skill, and the next generation of Rockets looks solid. Auburn started the fourth quarter up 55-23 and finished 70-37. The victory ties Sheperd Hill as both teams have 12-2 league records. Tantasqua finished 6-8 in SWCL Central.
Sarah Palace led the Rockets with 24 points, and Lyndsey Gabrielian had 9. Erin Scanlon scored 8, and juniors Amber Abderrazzaq and Jackie Matthews each had 6. Freshman Emily Sarkesian also scored six while sophomore Erin Burke dropped five.
Kaschuluk described the game as "a great team win". She recognized the seniors for their years of contribution to the team.
"When they were freshmen, the Auburn girls were a 500 program," she said. "Now they've won a championship."
Auburn plays Notre Dame next Wednesday in their last game of the regular season.
Comments (1)
Great to see the local sports being reported again! I especially like the slideshows.