Game Preview: 

The Norwood Mustangs will be facing off against the Millis Mohawks on Friday night at home. Girls Varsity basketball is looking for a big win against Millis to increase their standing in the Tri-Valley League, and to help qualify for the tournament in the upcoming weeks. 

On Fri. 17 at 6:30, Girls Varsity basketball will face off against Millis to add another win to their already record 8-1 overall and 6-1 in the Tri-Valley League. This means they need two more games to make tournament. Norwood has just beaten Hopkinton on Tuesday night with a score of 49-28. This makes them 11th in the state for their team rank across all others. 

Millis Girls basketball has a record of 3-2 overall and 2-1 in the Tri-Valley League. They also just beat Dedham on Tuesday night with a score of 51-31. Both Millis and Norwood have beaten Dedham and they have both beaten Hopkinton. David Fallon, head coach, is looking for a big win against Norwood because of last year’s domination of Norwood Girls basketball. 

According to Coach Lepley, Millis and Norwood both had undefeated records last year, so this will be an interesting and well-matched game. Last year, Norwood “lost by two and missed sixteen foul shots, so I think the girls have that revenge piece to it” she said.  

 Lepley explains that Millis plays a very fast-paced game, so they have been practicing “their transition movement on defense and have to take care of the ball especially. We can’t turn the ball over... and we have to make foul shots. They do foul a lot. They put us on the line a lot last year, so we just have to make them pay for that.” 

Millis has a tendency to foul which will be a defining factor for the game. If Norwood gets fouled and makes their foul shots, then the game could be in their favor. However, if the shots aren’t there then Millis could have the upper hand with their physical defense. According to the Millis Athletics Twitter, juniors, Eryn Rice and Abby Miller, were the top scorers in their game against Dedham this week. Both girls are starting shooting guards. These are two key players to watch out for in the game. The game could go either way. Both teams are coming off big wins and have a stake in the Tri-Valley tournament in the upcoming weeks. 

Megan Olbrys and Erin Reen are key players on Norwood that have helped lead games this season. Reen is the point guard who helps calm the team down and run the plays. Olbrys has been a leading scorer as well for Norwood being a power forward. 

Kate Earle, Junior Captain of the Norwood Girls Varsity team, says “that we want it more this year and being at home helps a lot because last year we were away. I think being at home will give us a little bit of an advantage with the crowd and with the fundraiser. I hope that we have a bigger crowd. We want to win for everyone that’s there.” 

This game is also special to the Mustangs because it is their annual Helping Hands game which is a fundraiser to raise money in support Norwood families in need. They are selling hands, hats, and car decals. There will also be a bake sale on the night of the game. All proceeds will go to support these families. This is the third time Girls basketball has done the Helping Hands charity game. 

Earle hopes for this win and many others with a game against Medfield, their only loss, next week. “With more wins could mean more home games in tournament...having a home advantage would be very exciting.” Earle has faith and confidence in the defensive skills the team has built up this year to be a contender for Millis and for teams to come for the rest of the season.  

Norwood Girls basketball is also dealing with a lot of injuries and sickness according to Coach Lepley. They “are taking it one day at a time” with whatever is thrown at them. Earle says that the girls played sick in their last game against Hopkinton, but will continue to fight through it. This could be a contributing factor in the outcome of the game Friday as well. 

Mustangs vs. Mohawks Fri. 17th @ 6:30 Home 

Helping Hands Fundraiser Game