NORTHFIELD — Pioneer smelled blood in the water midway through the second quarter of its MIAA Division 5 Girls Basketball Tournament preliminary round contest against Salem Academy on Monday. 

The No. 32 Panthers found themselves tied at 11 with the No. 33 Gators, but Salem Academy's Cindy Shehu — who had 10 of the Gators' 11 points to that point — picked up her third foul, sending her to the bench for the remainder of the second frame. 

With Shehu in foul trouble Pioneer took control, going on a 15-0 run to take a 26-12 lead into the half. The Panthers kept their foot on the gas in the second half advance to the Round of 32 with a 57-35 victory at Messer Gymnasium. 

“We talked about being at the three-month point of the season now and how our goal at the beginning of the season was to make it into the tournament,” Pioneer coach Kevin Harrington said. “To be able to get a win in your home gym and to get a standing ovation from the crowd as they finished was big for these girls’ confidence. They saw all the hard work pay off.” 

The reward for the win? A trip to play top-seeded Millis (12-8) is the Round of 32 on Thursday, with tip time still to be determined.

"We’ll go on the road,” Harrington said. “It’s one game so who knows what will happen. We’ll shoot and pray it goes in.” 

Pioneer (13-8) jumped on Salem Academy (16-5) early, with Hailey Ring and Whitney Dunklee making baskets while Kyler McClelland knocked down a 3-pointer to give the Panthers an early 7-0 lead. 

Addie Harrington added a basket for Pioneer before the quarter ended but a basket and two free throws from Shehu and a free throw from Kianny Mirabal-Nunez cut the Panthers lead to 9-5 going into the second quarter. 

Shehu drained a pair of 3’s to open the second for the Gators, the second tying the game at 11. She picked up her third foul on a charging call, sending her to the bench and Pioneer made Salem Academy pay while its best player was on the bench. 

Laura Kahler got things started with a basket before Ring scored off a turnover. Kahler made a free throw, Ring made a steal and converted an and-one and Kahler got fouled and made two free throws to put the Panthers ahead, 21-11. 

McClelland then drained her second 3 of the game and Harrington got inside for two to extend Pioneer’s lead. Mirabal-Nunez got fouled and knocked down a free throw with no time on the clock for the Gators, though the Panthers led 26-12 at the half. 

It was the press and fast break game that helped Pioneer on its run, as the hosts used its speed and athleticism to its advantage. 

“Our goal was to turn this into a track meet today,” Kevin Harrington said. “We wanted to get up and go and get up and run. I told them I was OK with mistakes at full speed. We weren’t OK with mistakes walking up and down the court. The next thing you know we get running and go on a 15-0 run.” 

Addie Harrington and Kahler provided the offense for the Panthers in the third quarter, Harrington scoring four times and Kahler twice, as Pioneer held a 38-22 lead going into the fourth. 

Shehu did her best to keep Salem Academy in the game in the final eight minutes, where she scored 10 of her game-high 28 points. Shehu’s two free throws cut the lead to 46-32 midway through the quarter but the Panthers went on a 9-0 run to put the game away. 

Dunklee started the run with a hook shot inside, Sofia Walker made a free throw, Caroline Ring scored down low, Addie Harrington made a pair of free throws and Hailey Ring made a steal and scored in transition to put Pioneer ahead, 55-32, before both teams emptied the benches. 

Addie Harrington had a team-high 17 points, Hailey Ring tallied 13 points, McClelland sank three 3’s to finish with nine points and Kahler recorded nine points in the victory. 

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