North Adams’ Grace McDowell fires off a three-point shot from the top of the key during the Lady Devils’ 68-40 win over Peebles in the McDonald’s Classic semi-finals. McDowell hit a pair of treys and scored 8 points in the win.

North Adams routs Peebles 68-40 – 

By Mark Carpenter – 

A 9-0 run to start the game and a 14-0 run later in the first quarter was all that Coach Rob Davis and his North Adams Lady Devils needed in their semi-final match up with Peebles in the 2017 McDonald’s Classic. Getting a combined 44 points from the senior duo of Lakyn Hupp and Avery Harper, the Lady Devils rolled to the Classic title game with a 68-40 victory.
“We came out early and set the tone,” said Coach Davis in his postgame interview. “Peebles has shooters everywhere and I thought we did a good job of covering those shooters. When we get a lead like that we tend to relax, but I want them to keep playing like it is a two or three point game. “
“This is a big tournament for our girls, showing which team is best in the county, at least for this weekend. Even with this 3 o’clock start, the stands were filled which is great for the girls on both teams.”
It didn’t take long for the North Adams girls to establish dominance in the semi-final contest, as a Grace McDowell trey and two Harper baskets in the paint fueled a 9-0 run to begin the game. The first Peebles baskets of the game came nearly three minutes in when they got back to back scores from Matti Nichols and Christian Reed to make it 9-4, but the Lady Devils had a major answer to those two baskets, scoring the game’s next 14, a streak that included a Hupp three-point play, another McDowell “3”, Harper again in the lane, and culminated with a pair of Hupp scores that extended the lead out to 23-4.
The Lady Indians got a three-pointer from Baylee Justice and another Reed bucket in the final minute of the first period, but a layup at the buzzer by Harper kept the North Adams advantage at 25-9 after one.
Besides Hupp’s ability to score, she is Coach Davis’s lock-down defender and for this contest she had the duty of handling Peebles’ leading scorer, freshman Jacey Justice. Held scoreless in the first period, Justice finally got on the board with a pair of free throws to begin the second, but the Lady Devils then turned up their patented defensive pressure, rattling the Peebles squad and forcing turnovers that resulted in a 12-0 run. Madee Shipley went to her favorite spot in the corner to begin the run with a three-point goal, followed by a combined nine points from Hupp and Harper that put North Adams firmly in control with a 37-11 lead.
The favored Lady Devils continued to roll before halftime, getting a basket from Delaney Harper, a three ball from Brooklyn Wylie, and a bucket from Wylie Shipley to coast into the intermission in front 47-14.
Appropriately, the second half began with a Hupp steal that ended with a “basket and one”, and the Lady Devils had their lead extended to 55-17 at the 4:47 mark. Peebles got a three-pointer from Jerilin Toller, a stick back by Tatum Arey, and a Justice basket to close out the third quarter, but still found themselves staring at a huge 60-26 deficit.
In the game’s final eight minutes, Coach Davis used his bench freely as the starters got a well-deserved respite. Justice put up four buckets in the final eight minutes and Toller nailed another three, but it was the Lady Devils who moved on to the Classic title game with the 68-40 triumph, a win which also counted in the Southern Hills Athletic Conference standings and left North Adams at 7-2 overall, 5-1 in the SHAC. Peebles fell to 6-4 with the loss, 3-4 in conference play.
The duo of Hupp and Avery Harper both hit double figures for the winners, with Hupp scoring 24 and Harper adding 20. Grace McDowell scored 8 for the Lady Devils, who advanced to their 12th consecutive Classic championship game.
Two Lady Indians hit double figures, led by Justice with 15 with Toller chipping in 12. Christian Reed added 6 for Peebles, who dropped to the Classic’s Saturday consolation game.
Peebles
9 5 12 14 –40
North Adams
25 22 13 8 –68

Peebles (40): J. Justice 6 3-4 15, Ryan 0 0-1 0, Reed 3 0-2 6, Nichols 1 0-2 2, Toler 4 2-4 12, B. Justice 1 0-0 3, Arey 1 0-0 2, Team 16 5-13 40.
N. Adams (68): Wylie 1 0-2 3, Sonner 0 2-2 2, W. Shipley 1 1-2 3, Hupp 9 6-9 24, M. Shipley 1 0-0 3, McDowell 3 0-0 8, D. Harper 2 1-2 5, A. Harper 9 2-4 20, Team 26 12-21 68.
Three-Point Goals:
Peebles (3): Toler 2, B. Justice 1
N. Adams (4): Wylie 1, M. Shipley 1, McDowell 2