A season ago, the Hoosac Valley girls basketball team breezed through the Western Mass. Class D tournament on its way to a Division V state championship game.
Now in 2023, the Hurricanes are attempting to do it all over again.
No. 1 Hoosac Valley defeated No. 4 Pioneer Valley 70-46 in the Class D semifinal to reach the program’s fourth consecutive Western Mass. title game dating back to 2019.
Ashlyn Lesure controlled the game from start to finish, and made sure the Hurricanes were going to have the opportunity to battle for the Western Mass. crown on Saturday. Lesure picked a perfect time to pour in a career-high 24 points, as she raced Hoosac’s offense out to a hot start in the first quarter.
The Hurricanes didn’t look back, either. After a 21-9 first quarter, they came out in the third and turned in a 23-11 frame to head into the fourth quarter with a secure 53-32 advantage.
Hoosac Valley’s 70 points are the most the Hurricanes have scored all season long. And after losing three of its first four games, Hoosac has erupted on an eight-game winning streak and won 15 of its last 16 games.
The Panthers were led by the stellar play of Kyler McClelland, who scored a team-high 18 points in the losing effort. Hailey Ring joined her in double figures with 11.
Pioneer Valley’s (12-8) season will continue, as the Panthers have also qualified for the state tournament. They now await their first-round opponent.
The Hurricanes (16-4) take on Lenox on Saturday at noon to crown a champion before heading into the state tournament. The two schools have not met since January of 2020.