NORTH EASTON — It’s only December, but the fourth-ranked Walpole and No. 2 Medfield girls’ basketball teams look as if they could play well into into March once again.
Walpole cruised past host Oliver Ames, 49-29, and Medfield zipped by Bishop Fenwick, 70-44, in the semifinals of the Sue Rivard Holiday Tournament on Wednesday, setting up an intriguing championship showdown Thursday back at OA (6:30 p.m.).
Each team has handled lofty preseason expectations admirably, but in their eyes, there’s still room to grow. The Warriors are fresh off a trip to the Division 2 semifinals, while Walpole returns its entire core following last year’s D2 quarterfinal run.
“It’s been slow, honestly,” Walpole senior Haley Brigham said of the start to the season. “I think we came out thinking we should win a state title. That still persists, but we came out with that kind of on our minds. Now we’re settling in and playing like ourselves again.”
The Timberwolves (5-0) relied on their balance against the defending Division 2 champion Tigers (1-3).
Shifty sophomore Isabelle Adams (16 points), Brigham (14), and senior Brooke Walonis (11) paced Walpole, which built a 24-13 halftime edge and hit its stride in a decisive fourth quarter.
When shots weren’t falling, the Timberwolves relied on their defense. They held the Tigers, who have several sharpshooters, to 4 points in the second quarter. OA sliced the deficit to 35-27 early in the fourth, but Walonis splashed a big 3-pointer and Walpole cruised from there.
“We kind of get helter-skelter at times, but at the end of the day, I have six seniors,” Walpole coach Dave Wall said. “We were short-handed today, and they stepped up. I think having some veterans, some seniors, is what allows us to get the wheels going.”
Junior Sarah Hilliard paced the Tigers with 12 points, and freshman Kamryn Derba showed her potential.
In game two, the Warriors (4-0) overpowered Bishop Fenwick (3-2). Medfield leaned on standout senior Kate Olenik (28 points, six assists). It also got production from junior Annie Stanton (12), junior Molly Chin (9), and freshman Tess Baacke (9).
Junior Cecilia Kay (18 points) and senior Erica Lendall (11 points) kept the Crusaders afloat.
Medfield surged ahead, 29-16, at halftime and got out in transition in the second half to pull away. The Warriors are relatively young but play with poise and constant energy. Their halfcourt sets are sharp, they cut well, and they play for one another.
“I really like where our team’s going,” Olenik said. “It’s a good start.”
Olenik, averaging 26.8 points per game, continues to roast opponents with a series of crossovers and stepbacks.
It sets up a juicy showdown that could be a state-final preview.
“Coming into the season, I thought they were probably one of the top one or two teams in the state,” Medfield coach Mark Nickerson said of Walpole. “They have a lot more experience than we have, but they don’t have Kate.”
Other notes and observations:
▪ Walpole consistently took and made open corner 3-pointers. “That’s a benefit of having a really good point guard,” Wall said. “Izzy’s good, man, she’s good. She’s just kind of scratching the surface, which is a little scary. We like to try to get her downhill and trust that she’s going to make the right play.”
▪ Oliver Ames is starting fresh after winning the state title in March. “It’s just trying to get a feel for what motivates them,” said coach Brittany Engle, who replaced retired legend Laney Clement-Holbrook. “We have a pretty young team, so we’re trying to figure out where their strengths lie. The biggest challenge is just trying to be consistent.”
▪ Medfield has two promising freshmen in Izzy Kittredge and Baacke. Kittredge, a 5-foot-11-inch forward, is long and athletic and can finish in traffic. Baacke, a 5-7 guard, makes smart decisions and can hit the long ball. “We have some young girls who don’t have a lot of experience, but they’re playing like older girls out there,” Nickerson said.
▪ Bishop Fenwick starts three freshmen, Celia Neilson, Caitlin Boyle, and Anna Fertonani, to complement a go-to option in Kay and a crafty playmaker in Lendall. “It’s been different, but that’s what I like about the job,” Bishop Fenwick coach Adam DeBaggis said. “It’s always different.”
Trevor Hass can be reached at trevor.hass@globe.com. Follow him on X @TrevorHass.