Strong team effort pushes Oakmont past Fitchburg after suffering a four game losing streak

ASHBURNHAM- After four straight losses, the Oakmont girls’ basketball team was pumped for a win. And the Spartans earned a good one Friday night, pulling away from neighboring Fitchburg High, 42-30 at home.

“I’m thrilled for the girls because they are working very hard,” said Oakmont coach Matt LeBlanc. “I think we had a lot of good looks and took good shots throughout the game. When those shots start falling, that’s good for us. We’re just trying to get a little better every day.”

Leading the way for the Spartans was speedy, 5-foot sophomore guard Allie McLaughlin with 11 points, including a 3-pointer and a solid 4 for 5 night at the free throw line.

“We played together and we played a lot better in this game than we have been playing,” said McLaughlin. “It’s only our second win, but I think we’re coming together as a team, and I think we’ll continue to improve during the rest of the season.”

Praising McLaughlin, LeBlanc said, “Allie has played two back-to-back really strong games for us. She’s shown a lot of poise this past week, working so hard when she’s on the floor. She plays fearless, especially for a girl her size.”

Oakmont senior Ella Dellasanta and freshman Olivia Martin were both very instrumental in the victory, each adding six points as the Spartans pulled to a 2-2 record in Mid-Wach B and 2-6 overall.

For Fitchburg, coached by former Fitchburg High star Paul DiGeronimo and now 2-7 overall and 0-4 in Mid-Wach B, senior Gianna Calderon was her team’s high scorer with 11 points. Junior Nyesha Oquendo added six points and sophomore guard Mila Xiong netted five.

Oakmont had to battle back from an opening 7-2 run by Fitchburg in the first quarter. The Spartans, with a short jumper by junior Alison Hazel off a sharp, long pass from freshman Jada LeBlanc, followed by a 3-point shot from the left corner by junior Kyra Pappas, tied the game with a minute left in the frame.

Still, the Red Raiders forged a 9-7 lead at the first quarter buzzer on two all-net free throws by Calderon.

The Spartans’ defense, in a key sequence in the game, stepped it up in the second quarter, holding Fitchburg scoreless for nearly five minutes while building a 20-9 lead, led by Martin’s layup and her 10-foot jumper, followed by steady foul shooting from LeBlanc and a layup from junior Molly Horgan.

Playing with intensity and confidence, Oakmont led 24-13 at intermission.

In the third quarter, McLaughlin scored 7 of her 11 points, including three straight smooth free throws after being fouled on a 3-point shot attempt. By the end of the third quarter, the Spartans had zoomed to a 33-20 lead.

And they didn’t let up. The Spartans began the fourth quarter with a 7-2 run, pulling ahead by a dozen at 40-22 in two and a half minutes before cruising to the finish.

In that final surge, Martin made a free throw, senior Addie Collette buried a baseline jumper and Dellasanta made two consecutive layups after good fakes, sealing the Oakmont victory.

“I thought we had a lot of good contributions from different players in this game,” LeBlanc said, standing next to his assistant coach Nick Pappas, a former Fitchburg star who later coached the men’s team at Fitchburg State University.

“As we’re approaching the halfway point of our season, we’ve had a lot of girls who are gaining good varsity experience.”

Oakmont will host a very good 7-1 Marlborough team on Tuesday, while Fitchburg travels to North Middlesex also on Tuesday evening.

This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Oakmont girls hoops back in the win column after beating Fitchburg