Coyle & Cassidy and Braintree Capture Girls' Hoops State Championships

By SuiteSports Staff

Two Eastern Mass teams overcame opponents from the west out in Springfield Saturday, with varying levels of difficulty, as Coyle & Cassidy ran away from Monson, while Braintree edged Springfield Central for state championships.

First at Springfield College in Division 4, Coyle & Cassidy rode the hot hand of Rachel Johnson, who led the Warriors with 17 points. C-C would roll 58-35 to capture its second state title in program history, and first in over 30 years.

Hours later at the MassMutual Center, Braintree avenged a loss in last year's finals against Western Mass power Springfield Central. The Wamps held on, 59-56, led by Adriana Timberlake's 19 points.

Leading by one with seconds left, Timberlake also snuck behind the Central defense, caught a long pass, and scored in transition to all but end the game with 1.8 seconds left.