Wellesley, 65-44 (final)
division 2 girls' state championship
Wellesley 65, Millbury 44
Whatever offensive woes might have plagued the Wellesley girls' basketball team at the TD Banknorth Garden earlier this week during the Eastern Mass. finals were nowhere in sight in Worcester.
The Raiders put 10 players on the scoring ledger and received balanced output from its starting 5 to emerge with a convincing 65-44 triumph over Millbury in the Division 2 state championship at the DCU Center in Worcester.
Lindsay Sydyness scored a team-high 16 points, while Jesse Miller (15) and Mary Louise Dixon (10) joined her in double figures.
Millbury's Sydney Bloomstein scored a team-high 11 points, all of which came in the second half.
Wellesley led by just five midway through the third quarter, but embarked on a 12-1 run to close out the frame and never looked back.
***
4th quarter
Wellesley is out front with a comfortable 17-point cushion and 3:27 to play.
The Raiders have enjoyed balanced output with nine different players on the scoring ledger so far.
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3rd quarter
Wellesley's Blake Dietrick hit a pair of 3-pointers as part of a 12-1 run the Raiders produced to punctuate the third quarter and stretch their lead to 48-32 moving to the fourth frame.
Not a pretty quarter of basketball in the early going.
Wellesley stretched its lead to double digits with a couple of early hoops, but Millbury heated up a bit and trimmed its deficit to 36-31 with 2:43 to play in the frame.
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2nd quarter
Wellesley dominated the early portion of the second quarter and an 8-0 run helped put the Raiders up by double digits, but Millbury responded with an 8-0 run of its own later in the half and trimmed its deficit to 31-26 at the intermission.
Jesse Miller chipped in a team-high nine points for Wellesley, Lindsay Sydness added eight points for the Raiders.
Millbury was paced by Julie Frankian with eight points, while Chelsea Perkins added seven more.
***
1st quarter
Senior Lindsay Syndness fueled a brief 8-2 burst late in the first quarter to help Wellesley build a 19-14 advantage over Millbury after eight minutes.
Jesse Miller kicked in five points for the Raiders in the first quarter.
***
Starting lineups
Here are the starting lineups for the Division 2 girls' title game:
WELLESLEY
10 - Mary Louise Dixon - 5-4 - Soph.
14 - Lindsay Sydness - 6-1 - Sr.
25 - Chelsea Sanders - 5-8 - Sr.
30 - Eleni Dixon - 5-8 - Sr.
33 - Jesse Miller - 6-0 - Jr.
Coach: Kristin Cieri
MILLBURY
11 - Julie Frankian - 5-9 - Fr.
14 - Sydney Bloomstein - 5-9 - Fr.
23 - Cailin Bullett - 5-9 - Jr.
33 - Chelsea Perkins - 5-9 - Soph.
42 - Kirsten Orrell - 6-0 - Jr.
Coach: Steve Reno
Several reporters and editors contribute updates, news and analysis to the High School Sports Blog.
- Bob Holmes: A Reading resident (Go Rockets!) and Boston College graduate, Holmes is the Boston Globe High School Sports Editor. We remind you now that his weekly picks are often made in jest so everyone just calm down when he picks against Everett for 11 straight weeks. Contact him at rholmes@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeHolmes.
- Craig Larson: A native of West Springfield (Leo Durocher anyone? Tim Daggett?) and Curry College graduate (a proud Colonel!), Larson is the sports editor for the Globe's regional sections: South, West and North, as well as a frequent contributor on the college beat. Abington to Xaverian: it all starts with the schools. Have a compelling story idea? Contact him at clarson@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeLars.
- Zuri Berry: Berry attended the same high school as sports legends O.J. Simpson and Joe DiMaggio. (Guess which one is his hero.) He's a South Boston resident (formerly of Eastie) and the editor of the High School Sports blog as well as the go-to-guy for everything high school sports on Boston.com. Contact him at zberry@boston.com and follow him on Twitter @ZuriBerry for all of the latest updates.
Also expect updates from correspondents Seth Lakso (boys basketball), Hannah Becker (girls basketball), Craig Forde (boys hockey), Liz Torres (girls hockey), Ryan Mooney and a host of others. To reach the high school sports correspondents and Globe editors, e-mail hssports@globe.com.







