Winthrop celebrates with a victory over Madison.
By Kevin Mills
Staff Writer

WINTHROP – They christened a new gymnasium and a new generation of basketball players all in the same night.

The Winthrop girls’ basketball team opened its sparkling new home court officially Monday night and watched a new group of players graduate to the varsity level in a 37-24 victory over Madison. The Ramblers, who have only four players who played regular varsity minutes last year, broke open a tie game with a strong final quarter.

“We’re young,” said Winthrop coach Lonney Steeves. “We grew a little bit tonight. They’ve never been in that position. Last year, they played most nights in games that were 10- or 12-point games. Now all of a sudden they’re in a varsity game, and it’s a six-point game with four minutes to play, and they do it. That speaks really highly of them.”

Nikki Emery, who split between JV and varsity last year, led the Ramblers with eight points. Emilie Knight added seven while Renee St. Hilaire, Anna Warner and Katie Pushard each had four. Melody Rich led Madison with seven.

“It’s definitely different,” said junior guard Lindsay Laflamme, who was on a JV team that lost just once a year ago. “We had some trouble at the beginning being a team again. It really came together. This week of practice has really helped put us together.”

Though Winthrop was erratic for much of the game, the pieces came together when Ramblers broke open a 21-21 game with an 8-2 run early in the final quarter. LaFlamme, part of a totally revamped backcourt, helped spark the run with some fine assists and found open shooters relatively close to the basket. After struggling from the floor in a 1-for-15 third quarter, Winthrop offense finally clicked at the most opportune time.

“I know they run the floor really well,” said Laflamme. “So if I get up quickly, I know to look up because they’ll be there ready to get the ball.”

Madison tied the game with a Jessica Stewart turnaround shot. St. Hilaire broke the tie on the next trip down with a jumper. Then in quick transition, Laflamme threaded a pass to Kelli Lascko for a basket and found St. Hilaire for six straight points.

“Those two fast breaks, the one to Lascko and the one to St. Hilaire, were just tremendous,” said Steeves. “She saw a great pass and made a great pass.”

Madison shot just 2-for-14 in the final quarter and struggled to mount any comeback after that. A Rich basket cut the lead to four, but Knight converted a St. Hilaire pass. Then Winthrop, which had a dismal night at the free-throw line, got free throws from Ashley Burgess, Emery and Pushard to pad the lead.

Laflamme dropped in the first basket in the new gym, scoring right off the opening tap. It was her only points of the game. Winthrop went on to build an 8-0 lead as Madison missed its first eight shots (1-for-12 in the first) and turned the ball over 11 times.

“I didn’t even realize it until I came out,” said Laflamme. “”(Coach) was like you made history.” Then he told me. It’s pretty exciting.”

The Ramblers couldn’t expand on that lead though. Madison stayed within six in the second half and used an 8-1 run in the third to get within 20-19.

“We hadn’t been playing our game, the way we have in the past, until that fourth quarter,” said Laflamme. “We finally got together as a group.”

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