WORCESTER – Lauren Battista didn’t hesitate to show the crowd at the DCU Center exactly why she was named the Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year.

The senior forward posted 16 of her game-high 22 points in the first half, leading Oliver Ames in a 50-31 victory over Millbury for the Division 2 state title.

“I felt great in the first half,” said Battista, who also tallied 11 rebounds and five steals. “I just started throwing up shots, and they were going in. I don’t even know, some games they fall some games they don’t. I just wanted to give it all I got and just show the crowd and show everyone that we deserved to be there.”

Battista posted the match-up’s first points with a field goal, but Millbury (20-5) was determined to have a better first-quarter performance than last year. Although the Woolies didn’t score a point until the second period in the previous state championship, senior forward Chelsea Perkins drilled a trey about a minute and a half into the period and junior guard Julie Frankian sank another shot from beyond the arc to push the Woolies to a 6-2 lead.

Oliver Ames (25-1) had a surge of its own, tallying 10 unanswered points. Millbury responded with two field goals in the period’s final minute to come back within 2 entering the second.

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Click below to review the live chat held during the game. A recap will be provided shortly.