NATICK, Mass. — Friday night's clash between No. 10 Natick and Braintree was supposed to be a test of contrasting defenses and styles. Instead, the Bay State Conference foes treated us with offensive fireworks.
Braintree, using two critical runs in the third and fourth quarters, prevailed in a 79-76 thriller, handing Natick its first loss of the winter. It was Braintree's highest-scoring game of the season, and according to Kelley Macdonald, the most consistently great offensive game in her three years as head coach.
"It just kind of came all of a sudden, because that's not where we're doing the first few games this season," she said. "But we were hyper-focused on this game and competing for all four quarters this game. That was in the girls' heads and it definitely showed yesterday at practice."
Every time Braintree (5-2) tried to put the game out of reach, Natick (8-1) nearly clawed back. That included a 10-1 closing run from the Redhawks that came up a couple of 3-point attempts short. Typically I tally up five standouts from a game I cover — but there was so much firepower in this one that I'm giving you seven below.
Frankie Mazzini, Braintree
Class of 2026, 5-6 guard
NCAA: Connecticut College
Mazzini is known as one of the top guard defenders in MIAA basketball, but she put on a breakout offensive masterclass in this contest with a game-high 27 points. It was the most confident I've seen her driving to the basket. She attacked space in transition and shook defenders with head-fakes. Mazzini got to the free-throw line consistently and hit some difficult off-balance layups.
"I definitely have realized I need to step it up and lead the team, especially being a captain this year and a senior," Mazzini said. "It radiates off to the rest of the team. The rest of team wants to drive and score, and it's just good for the whole team."
Mazzini, like pretty much everyone in this game, was locked in behind the arc and knocked down two 3-pointers. She was also great as a transition playmaker beyond her scoring. Braintree in general played fantastic transition offense, and it helped them match Natick's high-tempo style.
"We've been trying to do that because we want to be a transition team, and it's not necessarily been our forte, and that's what we kind of would like to be a little bit more," Macdonald said.
Kate Sweeney, Braintree
Class of 2027, 5-8 guard/forward
Sweeney's effort on the offensive glass helped make the difference in several key moments. I counted at least four offensive rebounds, including two that Sweeney put back for points. She also moved well without the basketball and her teammates found her on cuts frequently. Sweeney scored 17 points even with just one 3-pointer, though she's one of the better shooters on the team.
Eva Downing, Braintree
Class of 2027, 5-8 guard
Downing contributed 12 points and steadied the Braintree offense as another capable lead guard. She makes smart decisions and rarely turns the ball over or forces up bad shots. I thought Downing showed sweet footwork on a couple of buckets, including slamming on the breaks in transition to let a defender fly by before hitting an easy layup. She also got to a nifty turnaround jumper that pushed Braintree's lead to a 78-66 gap that proved insurmountable.
Izzy Rotondo, Braintree
Class of 2027, forward
Rotondo was important as the closest thing Braintree has to frontcourt size that could bother Natick's athletic forwards. She competed on defense and on the glass, and her 10 points included a couple of strong hook shots in the paint. She also knocked down a 3 in the second quarter.
Kayla Dunlap, Natick
Class of 2028, 6-0 forward
Dunlap continued her sensational season in the loss with a game-high 31 points. I was blown away by how her leaping athleticism stood out. She elevated over defenders for some impressive, acrobatic hook shots and sank one super long runner in the closing minutes. Dunlap hit short baseline jumpers and two 3s off the catch. Natick hit her twice on BLOB plays for quick scores. She shows a willingness to take contact too, which will help as she gets stronger and more consistent finishing at the rim. Dunlap's combination of explosiveness of the bounce and natural shooting touch is helping her skyrocket as a name to know in the state.
Denai Williams, Natick
Class of 2027, guard
Williams is breaking out in her own right as a speedy downhill scoring guard. She's reached double figures in every game this winter, including 17 points and five assists on Friday. Williams can beat defenders off the dribble with speed, and she showed great poise absorbing first bumps of contact before rising up and hitting tough layups. She also nearly dragged Natick on a comeback; in the final minutes, Williams hit a 3, and then when Dunlap stole the inbound pass and gave it back to Williams, she banked in another long ball to make it a 78-72 game.
Bridget Pole, Natick
Class of 2027, 5-10 guard
Pole scored 15 points and created some of the highlight moments from this highlight-loaded matchup. That included a big 3-ball in the closing seconds of the first quarter to keep Natick within a possession, and she aided Natick's near-comeback with a massive offensive rebound and putback-plus-one that got the game to its 79-76 final score. Like Natick's other standouts, Pole also pressured the defense with strong straight-line drives and was confident reading her defender and attacking.
