Girls Basketball Rides Strong Second Quarter For Playoff Win Over Belmont
February 27, 2026
• The Rockets shook off an early slow start to take control and eliminate the Marauders.
In the first Needham Varsity Basketball Playoff game of 2026, the Rockets Girls Basketball team defeated Belmont 54-36 at the A Gym on Friday night. The Rockets started slowly, but took control with a dominating second quarter, getting big contributions off the glass and were led by Senior Captain Eva Andrews, who scored 22 points and added thirteen rebounds.
The matchup, pitting Needham, ranked #9 in the MIAA Division 1 Bracket, against the #24 seeded Marauders, was originally intended as a doubleheader with the Boys, who will host their first game Saturday at 6:15 p.m. against #30 Barnstable. The Girls started off the season with nine straight wins, but struggled after that, going 5-6 the rest of the regular season. They were ranked as high as #3, where the Boys finished after going 18-2 in the regular season.
On Friday night, The Rockets struggled early once again, trailing 10-6 at the end of the first quarter, turning the ball over seven times and hit just 2-of-6 shots from the free throw line. But that all changed once they hit the second quarter, as Needham outscored Belmont 18-3 to take a 24-13 lead to halftime.
Andrews, who surpassed 700 rebounds and 200 blocks in her Needham career this season, had a game high nine points along with seven rebounds, while Sophomore Ella Wigder added four points and eight rebounds. For the half, Needham grabbed 24 boards, though they only attempted two three point shots, missing both in the first quarter. The Marauders went 0-for-10 in the first half from long range and also struggled from the free throw line, hitting just 1-of-5.
The Rockets extended their lead in the third quarter, outscoring Belmont 13-10, despite Marauders Sophomore Sarah Gellar hitting the first three pointer of the game. Junior Rebecca Christensen paced Belmont in the fourth quarter, scoring six points.
But Andrews came alive offensively, scoring ten of her 22 points in the fourth. Wigder finished with eleven rebounds, while Senior Captain Dani Deroian added seven rebounds as well. Senior Captain Hannah Levine and Sophomore Lacey Williams each added eight points, with Williams also getting five rebounds and a pair of steals.
With the win, Needham (15-6) advances to the Round of 16 and a matchup at #8 Woburn, who defeated #25 Shrewsbury 62-44 Thursday night in Woburn. That game is expected to be played Tuesday, March 3rd.
One day after the opening round win for the Needham Girls, the Boys will welcome in Barnstable, who will be playing playoff games in two straight days, after their preliminary round matchup against #35 Shrewsbury was postponed several days due to Monday’s blizzard. Barnstable beat Shrewsbury 68-59 to advance to the Round of 32.
Come back to this story on Needham Local to see a full game story from the Boys, but in the meantime, here are highlights from the Girls game, courtesy of our Instagram page:
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