Dixon dominates in Apponequet girls’ basketball playoff win
Feb 27, 2023
Apponequet players pose for a photo on the bench in the waning seconds of their win against Shawsheen. Team members, from left: Brooke Generazzo, Addison Taylor, Ava Dixon, Ashlynn McDonnell, Cecelia Levrault, Cynthia Morales, Isabel Keane, and Hannah Kuriscak. Photos by Rusty Gorelick
Teammates embrace on the court right after the final buzzer.
Cynthia Morales (2) and Addison Taylor (1) provide full-court pressure.
Teammates congratulate Ava Dixon (11) as she heads to the bench during her team-high 22-point game.
Ava Dixon takes a layup after passing a defender.
Cecelia Levrault shoots a three-pointer.
LAKEVILLE — After the buzzer sounded at the end of their 56-41 win, members of the Apponequet Regional High School girls’ basketball team ran onto the court to hug their teammates.
The Apponequet Lakers won at home in the first round of the Division 2 Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association girls’ basketball playoffs against the Shawsheen Valley Technical High School Rams.
Apponequet ran a full-court press defense for most of the game and forced lots of turnovers by double-teaming their opponents in the corners of the court. The Lakers scored plenty of points from fast-breaks straight after those turnovers and were also able to score on Shawsheen from set offensive plays.
A 22-point outing from junior Ava Dixon led the Lakers in the game. Of those points, 18 came in the first half.
“She was really good,” said Apponequet Head Coach Trevor Gagnier. “We needed a player to step up, and Ava did that.”
Dixon scored seven points in the first quarter to give Apponquet a 13-10 lead.
Then, Apponequet took over in the second and third quarters.
Dixon single handedly outscored Shawsheen in the second quarter with 11 points, including three three-point shots, to help the Lakers to a 29-19 halftime lead.
In the third quarter, freshmen Hannah Kuriscak and Cecelia Levrault took over on the offensive end, scoring 10 and five points respectively. Dixon added four more points in the quarter.
“We shared the ball a little bit more in the third quarter, and that got us in a better rhythm,” Gagnier said.
Apponequet entered the final frame with a 48-23 lead, so they slowed the game down in the fourth quarter.
Gagnier rotated his lineup and rested his starters for the end of the game to spread out the playing time.
Freshman Addison Combs scored Apponequet’s final points when she made a layup while drawing a foul. The sequence clearly impressed the Apponequet students’ section, which chanted “she’s a freshman” after the play.
“It’s a program win,” Gagnier said. “We’re going to enjoy this one and then regroup and get it going again.”
Having had plenty of moments to cheer throughout the game, the students’ section had one last thing to chant before the Lakers’ celebrations began: “We want a snow day.” Their luck continued: School was canceled due to the pending storm.
Apponequet’s next game will be away against Rockland High School at 6:30 p.m. on March 3 in the playoff tournament round of 32.
