By Jim Clark
Sports Editor
MILFORD -- In a high school playoff game, one of the last places a player wants to be is on the bench in foul trouble. Dee Sauter, who has had so much to do with Milford's success this season, was forced to watch as Fitchburg chipped away at a lead and threatened in the second half. Finally given her chance at redemption, Sauter took control and led Milford to a 65-52 win in a Central Mass. Division 1 quater-final Thursday night. The senior finished with a game-high 25 points, including five three-ponters. Of course, the Red Raiders were well aware of how dangerous she is after Sauter nailed six treys against them at Fitchburg two weeks ago.
"She's a killer," said FHS coach Toly Alario.
But when Sauter picked up her fourth foul reaching in on a Shelly Richard drive to the hoop, Milford coach Tom Collins was forced to sit her down with 12 minutes left. "I'm usually not a big fouler, I've never fouled out," Sauter said. "I felt really useless. It was hard sitting there."
Even tougher was watching Fitchburg whittle a 15-point lead to four with a 13-2 run. Richard had a half dozen of her 24 points during the burst, Sara Thomas (14 points) hit a pair of jumpers, and two free throws by Alicia Gauvin made it 44-40 with 6:51 to play.
Single free throws by Melissa Alpers and Nicole Faessler snapped the Scarlet Hawks from their drought, and then Sauter hit a pair from the line. But she was just warming up, calmly burying a three after a nice drive-and-dish by Jess Haynes (10 points, 4 assists) and then dropping in another after Alpers found her with a cross court pass on the right side. That made it 54-40 with 3:41 left and Fitchburg never recovered.
"They came back, but we didn't let them all the way back," Collins said.
"I expected a good game out of the girls," said Alario. "It would have been a big surprise if we would have won." The Red Raiders struggled during the first half and never led, thanks to Sauter hitting a pair of triples in the first 1:25. The closest it got was 9-7 on a drive by Richard, but Milford answered with a 12-2 run to take control, getting a big spark off the bench from Lauren Murray (13 rebounds, 7 offensive).
It was 35-24 at the break, and five straight points by Alpers pushed it to 42-27 with 13:04 to play. It would take a while longer for the Hawks to seal their Sunday semifinal rematch with North Middlesex. Milford split with North Middlesex this season and is looking to avenge a semifinal exit from last season.
"We've got to come up with a way to stop (Jessica) Veysey," Collins said. "If they discipline themselves, man for man we can beat them."
"It's our turn, and it's been our turn. Everyone's known that for a while," Sauter said.