MIAA D1 Elite 8: Hail Mary

A little drama in the MIAA D1 Elite 8 resulted in a nail-biting 51-49 #2 Wachusett victory over #7 Woburn. If you watched Woburn this season, you knew this matchup would be close because of their excellent team defense. Woburn took three charges in the first quarter and held Wachusett to 23 first-half points. Down 3 points heading into the 4th quarter, Wachusett, who were stymied by the Tanners defense all game, found their offense scoring 20 points. With 25 seconds left and the game tied at 49, shooting guard [player_tooltip player_id="269132" first="Mary" last="Gibbons"] sunk the go-ahead layup that propelled Wachusett to the Final 4.   Player of the Game: <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/8B2B2491-D56F-4FB0-BBC4-BC8BDFD7AA83-scaled-crop-1914x1257-1647223454.jpeg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-400454" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/8B2B2491-D56F-4FB0-BBC4-BC8BDFD7AA83-scaled-crop-1914x1257-1647223454-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="269132" first="Mary" last="Gibbons"] - 5’8’’ - SG - ’24 Gibbons was the most efficient offensive player in the game, and it was because she is capable of beating you from the perimeter with ease. Woburn’s interior defense is stout, and they give slashing wings problems, but Gibbons’ ability to sniper threes at a high clip gave Wachusett an advantage. Her 18 points led the game, and Gibbons sank 4 threes, including one down the stretch in crunch time. Gibbons’ game-winner was an excellent offensive read. Instead of settling for a jump shot, she found a rare open lane to the basket and finished at the rim with her left. It was not easy scoring against Woburn’s defense, but Gibbons’ high IQ, good shot selection, and scoring versatility were the biggest key to Wachusett’s big second half.   Wachusett Standouts: <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-400455" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/11/2A5FCEC6-EF9A-4F9F-9967-5971D39F7ABF-crop-1537x1010-1647223616-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="273949" first="Emerson" last="Allyn"] - 5’7’’ - PG - ’23 Watching Allen on Saturday evening, I concluded that she is the most underrated point guard in the ’23 class. What isn’t there to like about her? She is a great teammate and has the leadership intangible that I always look for first in any point guard. She is one of the biggest competitors on the court, a dynamic playmaker in the open court, and can facilitate in the halfcourt. I see a lot of tweets about who the fastest players in the state are, and I think we should add Allen to that list of names. With the basketball, she is one of the fastest players going coast to coast. More impressively, she can go at top speed, stay under control, and change directions more. Her ball placement on passes is top tier, also. I think she is the best point guard remaining in the MIAA D1 tournament, and her playmaking will be critical for Wachusett to win it all.   [player_tooltip player_id="400452" first="Charlotte" last="Head"] - 5’11’’ - PF - ’22 Head had a big second half and showed her entire offensive repertoire in the 4th quarter. She was a big paint presence, had some big finishes around the basket, and drew a few fouls. Head also hit a big three-pointer in the final frame that put Wachusett ahead. Her ability to stretch the floor with her shooting and bang inside was crucial for her team. She finished second on the team with 13 points.   Woburn Standouts: <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-400457" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/D98AF03D-20AD-451F-84BA-6414A34DE787-crop-1537x1010-1647223695-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="391720" first="Carley" last="Dangora"] - 5’7’’ -SG - ’22 Dangora’s defense and toughness can’t be ignored. She was flying all over the court Saturday, making key defensive plays which included a couple of charges. At the end of the game, she made big plays to help Woburn tie the game at 49, including a great pass off an aggressive baseline drive to freshman [player_tooltip player_id="391726" first="McKenna" last="Morrison"] with under a minute to go.   [caption id="attachment_400459" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/33A418AB-014D-4C10-9910-444947AFD643-crop-1495x982-1647223785.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-400459" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/33A418AB-014D-4C10-9910-444947AFD643-crop-1495x982-1647223785-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Photo: Pics By Reardon[/caption] [player_tooltip player_id="391726" first="McKenna" last="Morrison"] - 5’7’’ - CG - ’25 I love the energy Morrison brings off the bench for Woburn. She is a tough-minded defender and shoots confidently. She finished with 9 points, all coming from behind the arc. Most noticeably, McKenna was in the game at the end when Woburn needed to make a run and get back into the game. This shows the kind of trust the coaches have in her that she can come in and be effective in high leverage moments, even as a freshman. Morrison’s top of the key three-pointer to tie the game at 49 proved her value in clutch spots.   <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-400461" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/44894B4F-8834-48CD-BA33-B7F1885BC3F0-crop-1537x1010-1647223915-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="293286" first="Cyndea" last="Labissiere"] - 5’9’’ - SG - ’23 Labissiere led Woburn with 14 points, and Wachusett had trouble handling her athleticism. Labissiere got to the rim easily with crafty dribbling and effective spin moves. The elevation on her finishes put Labissiere at a clear advantage against the opposing forwards. She also took on the responsibility of being Woburn’s primary playmaker and decision-maker in the halfcourt despite not being a natural point guard.   <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-400463" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/AB91F8A7-85A2-488E-8339-33AC9F510D38-crop-1537x1010-1647223982-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="287157" first="Meghan" last="Qualey"] - 5’11’’ - PF - ’23 Qualey was awesome defensively and mastered doing all the little things. The screen setting, the hard box outs, and rebounding were just a few of the ways Qualey made her presence felt in this game. Her help-side defense was tremendous, and she laid her body on the line multiple times taking charge attempts. To be one of the most impactful players on the court without scoring a single point says a lot about someone, and Qualey has consistently been that player all winter.