MILLBURY – It was a dream start for the Hampshire Regional girls basketball team Wednesday night.

On the road in hostile territory complete with a pep band and a packed house for their MIAA Division 4 Round of 16 game against No. 9 Millbury, the upset-minded Raiders, seeded 29th and playing with house money, shot out of the gates to take a 9-2 lead. A fullcourt press, mixed in with an aggressive 2-3 extended zone had the Woolies frustrated and off balance.

But after an uneven first quarter, Ashleigh Lagor and Millbury flipped the script.

The senior scored 13 of her game high 24 points in the second quarter, and the Woolies held Hampshire off the board completely in the period en route to a 56-33 victory at Martin J. Roach Gymnasium.

Millbury (15-7) advanced to play at top-seeded Cathedral in the state quarterfinals.

Hampshire finished its season 10-13 overall.

“Our program hasn’t been this far in the tournament in a long time so it was a great experience for the kids to win a couple of games and get to play teams like this in atmospheres like this,” Hampshire coach Matt LaCoille said. “They have a lot to be proud of.”

The hot start was buoyed by a Shayne Moynahan 3-pointer to give the visitors a quick 5-0 lead. That prompted a timeout from Millbury head coach Steve Reno, though Hampshire continued to play well out of the break when Alice Jenkins scored on a second-chance opportunity. A pair of free throws from Alyssa Colon-Garcia staked the Raiders to a 9-2 lead with 2:04 left in the opening quarter.

“The girls executed the game plan really well and we came out on fire,” LaCoille said. “I certainly don’t think they were intimidated. We played in a lot of unique atmospheres and tough gyms this year to help prepare us for this type of environment.”

Lagor scored for Millbury with 49 seconds remaining, and Mila Nikiforow (15 points) drilled a 3 on the next possession to get the Woolies within 9-7 after one quarter.

It was all Millbury in the second period however, as Lagor scored 11 points as part of a 22-0 run from late in the first quarter into halftime that quickly turned the tides and gave the hosts a commanding 24-9 halftime advantage.

“We did what we could but they started to make some shots, and we weren’t able to match on the offensive end,” LaCoille said.

Moynahan drilled a 3 early in the third quarter for the first Hampshire points in over 10 minutes of game action. It was a better second half from the Raiders, but the deficit never dropped below 14 points en route to the 56-33 final.

Moynahan finished with a team-high 13 points, including four 3-pointers, while Jenkins and Destiny Saltis added four points apiece.

Hampshire’s unlikely run to the Sweet 16 was highlighted by a win over previously unbeaten No. 8 Sutton in the Round of 32.

“Beating Sutton was certainly an amazing feeling, getting to knock off an undefeated team on the road in the state tournament,” LaCoille said. “To play the way we did, and win in the fashion we did, it meant a lot. We celebrated that win but quickly shifted the focus to Millbury because we didn’t want the Sutton win to just be the end of things. We watched a lot of film on Millbury, but unfortunately weren’t able to replicate the result.”

The good news for Hampshire is that the program graduates just one senior in Jenkins. The Raiders started two freshmen and two juniors in addition to her on Wednesday.

“She’s the best,” said LaCoille of Jenkins. “She’s our leader on and off the floor, and is a great mentor for our younger players.”