“It’s tough to be the team that everybody wants to beat. Every team we play wants to be the team to take that from us.”
No one is going to feel sorry for Head Coach Ashley Kepaa and her undefeated Bedford High School Buccaneers.
They knew they were in a girls’ basketball battle Wednesday when they emerged with a 51-44 non-league victory at Wakefield High School.
And they expect another hard-fought game Friday when they travel to Newton South to try to achieve a record of 14-0. The Lions have lost to six teams that Bedford has defeated, but Kepaa and her team know they—and their perfection—are targeted. “You can feel it when you walk into the gym.”
Wakefield was one of the season’s toughest opponents. The Bucs trailed by five at the half, then accelerated into a different gear to outscore their hosts by seven in the third quarter to lead, 34-32. They put the game away with a 17-point fourth quarter.
“The game was super physical – three of our kids were bleeding after the game was over,” said Kepaa, who is looking forward to the rematch at BHS later this month. The coach pointed out that Wakefield’s defense forced 20 Bedford turnovers, more than twice as many as the average this season.
Senior Katherine Vaughan registered her third double-double of the season with 22 points and 16 rebounds. Sophomore Mackenzie Tierney had a breakout night, with some momentum-changing three-point baskets on her way to a 13-point game. ”That kid’s a shooter,” Kepaa said. “She’s really homing into her role on the team.”
“For us, it’s just about staying the course and making surer that we do all the right things and continue to improve daily,” Kepaa said.
Mike Rosenberg can be reached at [email protected], or 781-983-1763
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