Norwood v. Woburn: The Mustang Miracle

Two of Eastern Massachusetts’ best teams squared off Monday afternoon, and it was one of the most dramatic games of the season. Woburn High hosted Norwood High, which ended in a 53-50 Norwood victory. Down 30-16 going into halftime, it looked like Norwood was going to cruise to the win, but Woburn climbed back and ended up taking the lead late in the 4th. Some late-game heroics at the buzzer helped propel Norwood over Woburn.   Player of the Game: <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-391755" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/75D03107-884A-4B53-9E90-2BD91F483514-crop-1537x1010-1645634929-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="183937" first="Erin" last="Reen"] - Norwood - 5’5’’ - PG - ’22 Reen hit the buzzer-beating runner three to stun Woburn, which was the exclamation point to a solid all-around game for her. With the game knotted up at 50, Reen had to go the length of the floor in 7 seconds and score to give Norwood the win. She had a team-high 13 points, and I thought she was most impressive shooting off the dribble. Reen’s elevation on her jumper and ability to shoot over bigger defenders contributed to her efficient shooting night. Woburn made a huge second half run, and [player_tooltip player_id="183929" first="Megan" last="Olbrys"] fouled out in the 4th. So Norwood needed a player to step up and make key plays down the stretch. Reen made sound decisions and protected the ball against an aggressive and pesky Woburn defense.   Norwood Standouts: <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-391750" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/13A571C8-DE72-4B6E-8435-E4B30FD3AD17-crop-1536x1009-1645634765-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="183929" first="Megan" last="Olbrys"] - 6’2’’ - PF - ’22 Olbrys was a machine all game long and set a tone on defense that helped Norwood get out to a big lead in the 1st half. Her interior defense and shot-blocking struck fear in Woburn, and it was hard for them to score around the basket. Olbrys’ aggressive rebounding, specifically on the defensive end, kept Woburn to one-and-done possessions, and she can play the role of point forward, pushing the ball up the floor and setting up the offense. Olbrys’ unselfishness in the half-court, constant movement, screen setting, and IQ helped make Norwood look unstoppable in the 1st half.   <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-391752" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/06/27006544_Unknown-crop-1521x999-1645634804-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="298836" first="Tricia" last="Wladkowski"] - 5’11’’ - SF - ’24 Wladkowski also had 13 points, and her game compliments [player_tooltip player_id="183937" first="Erin" last="Reen"] and [player_tooltip player_id="183929" first="Megan" last="Olbrys"] perfectly. She has the size and the shooting stroke to stretch the floor and draw forwards out of the paint. Wladkowski is also strong around the basket and isn’t afraid to bang down low. Wladkowski ran the floor and provided valuable minutes down the stretch of the game when Olbrys fouled out.   Woburn Standouts: [caption id="attachment_391742" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/51DF25FB-11FF-4A48-BFF6-77665D57E03D-crop-1537x1010-1645634640.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-391742" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/51DF25FB-11FF-4A48-BFF6-77665D57E03D-crop-1537x1010-1645634640-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Photo: PicsByReardon[/caption] [player_tooltip player_id="391721" first="Jenna" last="Taylor"] - 5’10 - SF - ’22 Taylor had a big scoring night leading with a game-high 18 and got Woburn off to a great start with her jump shooting. She can put up points quickly and scored 9 of Woburn’s 16 1st half points. I was impressed with how confident she was shooting off the dribble and in transition. Taylor caught the ball in stride, was ready to launch, and provided big shot-making during Woburn’s 2nd half comeback.   <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-391736" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/0C1C4616-8623-4E27-A803-1F2B8FA0D54B-crop-1440x946-1645634558-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Carly Dangora - 5’6’’ - CG - ’22 Dangora didn’t light up the stat sheet, but she was by far the most tenacious on-ball defender in the game Monday afternoon. She gets right in the ball-handlers kitchen and gives them zero space to breathe, never mind dribble. Her defensive intensity and awareness in the second half sparked a Woburn run in which she took big charges and was active on the weak side.   [caption id="attachment_391733" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/E69420F9-89B3-4183-AB4C-3AC4A50CA6B0-crop-1537x1010-1645634488.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-391733" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/E69420F9-89B3-4183-AB4C-3AC4A50CA6B0-crop-1537x1010-1645634488-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Photo: PicsByReardon[/caption] [player_tooltip player_id="293286" first="Cyndea" last="Labissiere"] - 5’9’’ - SG/SF - ’23 Labissiere was Woburn’s best two-way player Monday, and she played a significant role in Woburn taking the lead late in the 4th. She was second on the team with 12 points, and her timely face cuts led to a few of her field goals. Her cutting was the most noticeable thing about Labissiere’s game. She excelled at setting up her defender and has elite athletic ability making it easy to lose whoever is guarding her. Labissiere’s versatility on defense was crucial, also. Switching from defending the perimeter and interior throughout the game was impressive, and she made it difficult for anyone to score against her.   <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-391731" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/04F9F7F9-EBC5-4076-8EAD-FBF23FD9F97D-crop-1537x1010-1645634413-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="391726" first="McKenna" last="Morrison"] - 5’7’’ - CG - ’25 Down 14 after the half, Woburn needed a boost in the scoring column and got it from the freshman Morrison who finished in double figures with 11 points. She was a potent outside shooting threat who knocked down huge shots cutting the 14-point deficit to 6 by the end of the 3rd. Morrison is another Woburn guard who digs in on defense and is tough as nails. The energy she brought off the bench combined with her scoring production is encouraging to see with the state tournament around the corner.