The Bedford High School Buccaneers advanced to the first round of the MIAA Division 2 post-season tournament Monday night, defeating Pembroke 49-45 in a play-in game that was not as close as suggested by the final score.
Bedford, with a record of 12-9 and ranked 31st in the 32-team field, travels to 19-1 Medfield Friday evening.
The Buccaneers, playing at home Monday, led 33-25 at halftime and still had an eight-point lead, 47-39, after junior Cassie Morrison sank two free throws with 65 seconds remaining.
A pair of Pembroke three-pointers sandwiched around a Bedford foul shot cut the led to one possession with 10 seconds to play. One more Morrison free theow sealed the win.
Madison Tierney swished three trifectas in the fourth quarter to sustain Bedford’s comfortable lead. She and Morrison each finished with 14 points, and Mackenzie Tierney added 11.
Bedford has 19 steals in the game, led by Sydney Poor and Bridget Sheahan with five each. Sophomore Grace Weisz, who saw extended minutes as several starters were in foul difficulty, snagged five offensive rebounds in the second half.
The Bucs will have to take better care of the ball at Medfield – they had 25 turnovers Monday. Pembroke totaled 29 turnovers, and 14 of those were in the first quarter as the Bucs sprinted to a 16-5 lead.
