ITEM PHOTO | KATIE MORRISON
Classical’s Soneta Srey launches a shot over Billerica’s Emily Scurka. Srey scored 13 points.
By KATIE MORRISON
LYNN — The Classical girls basketball team has checked off a lot of boxes on its to-do list this season.
It finished with the program’s best regular-season record (17-5) in more than a decade, grabbed the No. 4 seed in the MIAA Division 1 bracket, and earned not one, but two home games with a first-round win over North Andover.
But Sunday, the Rams simply ran into a team that had height, athleticism and plenty of weapons on the floor as No. 5 Billerica knocked them out of the D1 quarterfinals, 54-37, at Classical.
The Rams (18-6) kept the game close throughout the first half, but foul trouble and stifling defense from the Indians allowed Billerica to run away with the game in the final two quarters.
“This does not take away from the year these guys had,” Classical coach Tom Sawyer said. “They played the game the right way today, they battled and fought. It was a great, great season.”
Classical’s Soneta Srey knotted the game at 12 on the first possession of the second quarter, but back-to-back threes early in the second from Billerica opened up the lead to six, 18-12. The Indians opened up the lead to 10, 26-16, with 2:20 left in the half, but then Srey stepped up and took control. After cutting Billerica’s lead to 26-22 on a three-point play, Srey, one of the team’s two seniors (along with Priscill Alouidor) logged her third steal of the game to end the quarter. Srey (team-high 13 points) scored nine of the Rams’ 12 points in the quarter.
“Soneta is extremely athletic, and you couple that with good anticipation skills, she gets her hand on the ball a lot,” Sawyer said. “I think she played an outstanding game today.”
While the Rams were getting offense from Srey, Irianis Delgado (5 points) and Tyarah Horton (7 points), Billerica limited leading scorer Paris Wilkey to just two points in the half, both on free throws.
Things didn’t get better for Wilkey in the third, as the junior forward got into foul trouble. The Rams struggled to score after the half, unable to get good looks and offensive rebounds due to Billerica’s length.
““I think (Classical) had trouble finding who to go to there,” Billerica coach Chris Doneski said. “(Wilkey) usually makes a lot of big plays and tough shots.”
The closest the Rams could come was within three midway through the third, but the Indians caught fire from beyond the arc, and took a 13-point lead, 40-27, into the fourth.
Wilkey was back on the floor for the final quarter, but was limited to one field goal (though she hit 4 of 6 free throws to finish with 8 points). Srey added two points in the quarter, but it wasn’t enough as Billerica continued to hit shots and create second chances on offense to seal the win.
