The top-seeded Springfield Central girls basketball team’s Western Massachusetts dominance continued Thursday night, as the Golden Eagles sprinted out to a fast start and never looked back on their home floor.
After a 22-10 first quarter, Central kept its foot on the gas to build an insurmountable lead en route to a 77-37 victory over No. 4 Holyoke in the Western Mass. Class A semifinal round.
The Golden Eagles (17-3) advance to battle No. 3 Amherst — a team they have yet to see this season — for a 6 p.m. tip on Saturday at Westfield High School.
Thursday’s win over the Purple Knights featured a plethora of players finding success, as five different Central scorers dipped into double figures. St. John’s commit Julie Bahati tossed in a game-high 18 points while Angela Hector was right behind with 14 of her own.
Heaven Morris (11 points), Jordis Tautalatasi (10 points) and Sydney Dodds (10 points) joined Bahati and Hector, while Alysia Mondon added eight points.
Defensively, the Golden Eagles made life difficult for Holyoke. The Purple Knights mustered only one quarter with over 10 points, while scoring just eight apiece in the second and third frames. Central outscored Holyoke 41-16 over the middle two frames to separate themselves comfortably.
Bianca Ortiz-Cordero put up a team-high 14 points, and Amilyan Treadwell-Mercedes chipped in nine for the Purple Knights.
Despite the loss, Holyoke (12-8) has already qualified for the state tournament, so its season is far from over. The Purple Knights will wait until the state tournament rankings are announced Saturday for their next opponent.