Another title game ... but when???

Foxboro's Katelyn Mollica, left, meets double-teaming

from Old Rochester as she drives to the basket.

(Mark Stockwell photo)

(Edited and corrected)

The Foxboro High girls' basketball team punched its ticket Monday night to its fourth sectional title game in six years when it defeated Old Rochester, 46-29, in the MIAA Division 2-South semifinal at Taunton High's Rabouin Field House.

That much is certain.

The Warriors (22-2), seeded second in the region, will play No. 4 Hingham (20-3) for the crown after the Harborwomen's 62-57 upset victory over No. 1 Norwood in the second game of the Monday doubleheader.

That much is also certain.

But when will the game be played? Stay tuned.

The MIAA will wait to fully commit to a date and time until after the results of other games in other sections Tuesday night. Originally planned for a Saturday appointment at Taunton, the Foxboro-Hingham game could be the opening act on Friday night for the Division 1-South boys' title game between No. 1 Mansfield and No. 2 Brockton. Decisions should be known by Wednesday. However, my sources at Taunton High tell me that the Mansfield-Brockton game will not be moved under any circumstance.

As for the details, as expected, it was a gritty defensive battle between the Warriors and Bulldogs. And even though Foxboro jumped into an early lead and never surrendered it, seeing it reach 12 points at halftime, it never seemed absolutely secure. Indeed, it didn't feel as if Foxboro finally gained the edge it needed until Katelyn Mollica hit a pair of technical foul shots midway through the fourth quarter -- assessed when the defender that had tormented her through two meetings this year, Maggie Brogioli, made the unfortunate mistake of clapping her hands in Mollica's face after forcing a turnover in the backcourt.

Not long after that taunting foul, Mollica hit her only two 3-pointers of the evening in rapid succession to stick the dagger in the Bulldogs' back.

Mollica had only four points through three quarters, practically wearing Brogioli on her forearm, but other Warriors picked up the slack. Abby Hassman and Shakirah Ketant had four points apiece in the first quarter as Foxboro assumed a 13-3 lead, and Ketant shook off a brief injury respite on the bench to add four more in the second quarter as the Warriors led 23-11 at the half.

The defensive intensity was palpable in the third quarter, both teams being held to nine points apiece. But the big difference between the two teams was that Foxboro, also a terrific defensive team, had a sense of purpose on offense that could overcome Old Rochester's defensive challenge. With all the attention being paid to Mollica -- often as many as three players ready to mark her as she would prepare to shoot or drive -- it left other Warriors open for business. Lizzy Davis, Jordyn Collins and Yara Fawaz picked up the slack until the talented Mollica could finally throw off her shackles.

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs' offensive flaws were exposed repeatedly. Challenged at the perimeter and in the paint by Foxboro's agile and mobile defenders, Old Rochester's shooters indiscriminately fired wild shots at the backboard and hoped for the best. That may work in the South Coast Conference, but not against a battle-tested squad from the Hockomock League.

Meg Horan had 10 points and Logan Fernandes (who needed a doctor's OK to play following a pre-game examination of her knee injury) had eight. It marked the end of a 41-year career for veteran ORR coach Bob Hohne, who has 651 career victories but is apparently being pushed out of the job by school administration according to media reports.

Ketant finished with 13, Mollica 12 and Davis nine for Foxboro. Davis also drew her usual quota of charging fouls, Fawaz and Collins made several great defensive plays and Hassman was a steadying influence in the halfcourt.

As for the second game, Foxboro coach Lisa Downs suggested in her post-game comments that Hingham had an athleticism edge over the top-seeded Norwood Mustangs, and she was right.

The kid to watch -- and someone that could demonize Foxboro in the final -- is diminutive senior point guard Grace Bennis, who threw in 23 points on nine field goals, five of them from behind the 3-point arc. Give her a half-inch of free space, and she can bury the three and still beat you downcourt defensively.

But the first player to strike fear into Norwood's heart was another senior guard, Ryley Blasetti, who pumped in all 15 of her points in the first quarter as the Harborwomen raced out to a 22-13 lead. Norwood managed to get the deficit down to three (36-33) at the half, but Bennis had 10 points and sophomore Perry Blasetti six in the third quarter, accounting for all the Hingham points and widening the lead to 52-43.

Norwood made a few brief charges down the stretch, but Hingham survived dreadful free-throw shooting in the final quarter (4-for-13) to put the game away and reach its second straight sectional final and third since 2016.

And now, we await the MIAA's scheduling decisions. No matter what, I expect to be behind microphones at both games.