#5 Laconia v. #12 Milford: Macy’s Day Parade

<span style="font-weight: 400;">New Hampshire’s division 2 playoffs kicked off Wednesday night, and I watched #5 Laconia High host #12 Milford High. Laconia got out to a 14-7 lead at the end of the 1st quarter and completely separated themselves from Milford in the 2nd. Between the loud, animated home-court advantage in Laconia’s corner combined with the spike in defensive intensity, Laconia held Milford to 1 total point in the period. The Sachems cruised to a 61-35 victory and advanced to the quarter-finals to host Merrimack Valley Saturday. </span> &nbsp; <strong>Player of the Game: </strong> <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-387150" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/B9E5F97B-F508-4A80-B183-83CEAFE3C5B8-scaled-crop-1920x1261-1644608594-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="289132" first="Macy" last="Swormstedt"] - 5’8’’ - PG - ’25</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Wednesday’s game was the [player_tooltip player_id="289132" first="Macy" last="Swormstedt"] show from the opening tip. An impressive playoff game by one of the best point guards in the freshman class. All around, Swormstedt was impressive; whether it be her diverse scoring repertoire, halfcourt playmaking, or how defensively she dominated. She played only 3 quarters and dropped a game-high 22 points, including a three and several beautiful floaters in traffic. The majority of her points came in the first half, and in the second, Swormstedt deferred to her teammates, setting them up for easy shot opportunities. </span> &nbsp; <strong>Laconia Standouts: </strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="387147" first="Mekhia" last="Burton"] - 5’10’’ - PF - ’24</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Burton was a beast down low and was the main reason Milford struggled to get any points in the paint. Her intimidating presence and shot-blocking ability forced Milford to become a perimeter-oriented team which helped Laconia build a big 1st half lead. Burton also chipped in 10 points, all coming on the block or second chance opportunities. </span> &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="387144" first="Norah" last="Dunleavy"] - 5’11’’ - SF/PF - ’22</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Finishing with 9 points, Dunleavy took advantage of her size mismatch all game long. She was a reliable scoring option when [player_tooltip player_id="289132" first="Macy" last="Swormstedt"] drew multiple defenders, or [player_tooltip player_id="387147" first="Mehkia" last="Burton"] was doubled in the post. Dunleavy showed soft touch around the basket and finished through contact. </span> &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="387146" first="Ashlynn" last="Deluca"] - 5’3’’ - PG - ’23</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Deluca is an x-factor for Laconia because of her defense and scoring in transition. Her athleticism popped on Wednesday night when Laconia would press. She covers a lot of ground and is lightning fast going east to west. Deluca leaked out in transition and blew by defenders for easy fastbreak layups. </span> &nbsp; <strong>Milford Standouts:</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="387152" first="Lulu" last="Maguire"] - 5’3’’ - PG - ’25</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">I thought Maguire was incredible Wednesday night. As a freshman on the road in a hostile environment for a playoff game, she went off for 19 points. What impressed me most was that she did most of her scoring damage from the outside. The undersized point guard connected on 3 three-pointers along with a few tough contested mid-range shots, showing poise and concentration despite the noisy crowd in her ear. This game vs. Laconia was my first time watching Maguire, and she left a great first impression. </span> &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="387145" first="Bailey" last="Johnson"] - 5’10’’ - SF/PF - ’23</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Johnson had 14 points for Milford and was highly efficient around the basket. She has good hands and is a great finisher around the rim. The Milford guards and wings drew a lot of attention throughout the game, and Johnson took advantage of each scoring opportunity she was given. </span> &nbsp;