LENOX — The Wildcats opened their girls basketball season on Thursday in dominant fashion over their local rival.
Lee girls basketball stormed past Lenox, 61-33, in the season-opener for both teams.
Lee earns its first victory over Lenox since 2022, having lost its last seven matchups with the Millionaires.
“(This win) gives us more confidence moving forward,” Mika Diller said after the game. “First game, rival game, on the road – it just gives us more confidence with our new lineup coming into the season.”
The Wildcats pounced on the hosts from the opening tip, ripping off a 9-0 to first a timeout from Lenox. The Millionaires found some rhythm out of the timeout, scoring seven straight to get back within two.
But the Wildcats struck back with a 7-0 run of their own and closed out the quarter with a five-point lead.
Lenox struggled in the opening quarter to find much offensive rhythm against the Wildcats’ aggressive defense and things only got worse as the game wore on. Less than a minute into the second quarter, a three from Kenzie Garrity was followed by a steal for Lee, leading to a mid-range jumper from Giana Carlino to push the advantage into double-digits. The freshman guard entered halftime with her team up by 12 and with 15 points to her name, nine of which came in the opening quarter.
Carlino played a big role on defense as well, fully embracing her coach’s new defensive scheme, pressing the opposing guards up the court and trapping them to force the turnover.
“(Giana is) the voice, she controls the pace of the game,” Lee girls basketball head coach Lexi Mercier said. “She’s my point guard, she slows it down, but she’s also the scorer, so she has a lot of roles on this team.”
The Wildcats’ defense continued to stifle the hosts in the second half to great effect, allowing the visitors to gradually build their advantage.
Lenox enjoyed a small burst in the third quarter after Katie Shove knocked down a pair of threes to bring the Millionaires within eight. But the run was short-lived and Lee soon rebuilt its lead before running away in the fourth quarter.
Carlino finished with a game-high 17 points for the Wildcats, with Ari Noyes and Diller supporting her with 10 points each.
Mercier earns her first win as a coach in high school girls basketball, taking the reigns from Rick Puleri this winter. Mercier is a former All-Western Mass First Team selection in 2019 after leading Hoosac Valley to a Division III state title.
“All I’ve ever known is pressing,” Mercier said. “So for these girls, it’s new for them, but putting it in, I think we’re a quick team. We can trap the ball well, get down the court fast… you’re going to see a lot more different processes this season.”
Lee (1-0) will look to build on this win when the Wildcats host Drury on Monday, Dec. 15 in their home-opener at 7 p.m.
Lenox (0-1) will look to bounce back when the Millionaires host Pope Francis on Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 6 p.m.
“It’s going to be one practice at a time… we have a lot of youth and inexperience,” Lenox girls basketball coach Nicole Patella said.
“They’re going to make mistakes and we got to make sure that they’re keeping their head up and learning from them and hopefully not making them again, but we’re going to have to take it one practice, one game at a time.”
