Needham Basketball Cruises Past Weymouth in Doubleheader

February 3, 2025
• Boys basketball won their fourth straight game, while the girls improved to 8-6. 

Boys and girls basketball put on a show in front of a packed A-Gym on Friday, Jan. 31, with two blowout wins over Weymouth. The boys team started the night with a 55-32 win, led by senior Jeremy Gould’s team-high 16 points. The girls followed with a strong 3-point shooting performance to win 76-30.

In the boys’ game, Weymouth led 3-2 two minutes into the game, but that would be their only lead of the night. With just a four-point lead with 1:53 left in the first quarter, senior Will Wheeler drained a three to spark a 7-2 run for the Rockets, who led 19-10 at the end of the quarter. Weymouth’s Timmy Long kept the Wildcats close, scoring eight of their 10 first quarter points. The second quarter was a defensive struggle, with neither team scoring in the first five minutes. Weymouth finally scored with a basket off an inbound pass to trim the Needham lead down to six. But, the Rockets were able to score four points in the final minute of the half to make it 27-19 into halftime.

Offensive struggles continued early in the third, but Needham took control on an 11-1 run, fueled by their strong rebounding. The Rockets’ defense forced four turnovers, giving up just three points in the third quarter to push the score to 41-22. Sam Croopnick dominated the fourth quarter for the Rockets, scoring eight points and collecting four rebounds. Despite the Wildcats scoring 10 points in the frame, their highest of the night, they couldn’t overcome the 19 point lead Needham held at the end of the third. The Rockets came away with a decisive 55-32 victory, disrupting Weymouth’s shooting all game with their stout defense.

The win marks an important turnaround for the boys team, bringing them back to .500 with a 7-7 record. They have now won four straight games as they push for a spot in the playoffs. But, their remaining schedule is challenging, as their final three games are against schools all ranked in the top 20 of the MIAA Division 1 Power Rankings. Needham currently sits at No. 36 in those rankings.

Following the boys’ game, the Needham girls basketball team took the court, also facing off against the Wildcats.

The first quarter was closer than expected, as Weymouth (0-13) kept up with Needham (7-6). The Wildcats stayed within two points of the Rockets, but with just eight seconds left in the quarter, Annie Camozzi hit a buzzer-beater to extend the lead to five. Needham carried that momentum into the second, opening with an 8-0 run before Weymouth got on the board with 4:36 in the half. The Wildcats cut the lead to seven with under three minutes to play, but the Rockets went on another run, scoring 13 unanswered to close the quarter. Needham led 41-21 at the half, with 15 points from Camozzi, nine from Callie McCarthy and nine from Hannah Levine.

Up by 20 at halftime, the second half was all Needham. The Rockets allowed just three points in the third quarter as they continued to dominate on both sides of the ball, and they took a 56-24 lead into the fourth quarter. Needham did not let up in the fourth, scoring 20 more points to secure the 76-30 victory behind their strong three-point shooting (36%). Camozzi led all scorers with 17 points and six rebounds, while McCarthy added 11 for the Rockets. Eva Andrews had a strong defensive game, recording nine rebounds and five blocks.

With the win, the Rockets improve to 8-6 on the season and are ranked No. 13 in the MIAA Division 1 Power Rankings.

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