MIAA D3 Tourney: Lambo Leap

<span style="font-weight: 400;">A common theme over the past week has been games decided by one possession. The MIAA D3 matchup between #7 Watertown and #10 Norton followed this trend. A fun back and forth between two evenly matched teams came down to a crafty game-winning layup by senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="398728" first="Sophia" last="Garapetian"], lifting Watertown to a 54-52 win at home. They advanced to the Elite 8 to face Massachusetts powerhouse, St. Mary’s. </span> &nbsp; <strong>Player of the Game: </strong> <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-398732" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/20080C1B-4DD9-4E94-B03F-BD85FE9D37E2-scaled-crop-1852x1216-1646915040-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="263806" first="Taylor" last="Lambo"] - 5’11’’ - PF - ’22</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Lambo was excellent on both sides of the floor Tuesday night. The tough-minded power forward fought through double and triple teams in the post to net a game-high 19 points and cleaned up the glass. Every time Lambo caught the ball on the block, it guaranteed she would finish, draw a foul, or make the smart pass to one of her teammates spotting up. Lambo was very impressive, passing in the high post and picking apart Norton’s zone all game long. She also protected the paint with disciplined defense and shot blocking.  </span> &nbsp; <strong>Watertown Standouts: </strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="398728" first="Sophia" last="Garapetian"] - 5’8’’ - CG - ’22</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Garapetian made the most out of her minutes Tuesday by nailing the game-winning layup with under 10 seconds to go. She scored an efficient 9 points and showcased her athleticism and elusiveness in the half-court. Her finishing ability is elite, and she is comfortable attacking with either hand, making tough moves around the basket. Garapetian used her athleticism and quickness well off the ball, losing her defender constantly to get open.</span> &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="368180" first="Laura" last="Biagiotti"] - 5’9’’ - SG - ’24</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Biagiotti is a tough, strong, lefty wing who rebounds well, which was crucial down the stretch of the game. A big offensive rebound and putback with under a minute to go cut Norton’s lead to 1, giving Watertown a little life as the clock dwindled. Throughout the game, Biagiotti was solid and was a reliable scorer from the wing. She finished with 11 points, including a couple of mid-range dribble pull-ups.</span> &nbsp; <strong>Norton Standouts: </strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="298751" first="Emma" last="Cochrane"]- 5’3’’ - PG - ’24</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">If Norton had pulled off the road upset, Cochrane would’ve been the player of the game. I thought her playmaking was really good for the majority of the game, and she made big plays for Norton to keep the team out in front. It amazes me how easily she scores around the rim at her size. Cochrane made tough finish after tough finish against some of Watertown’s longest defenders. Cochrane also moved the ball well. Her court vision is one of her strengths, and she set the table for her teammates beautifully all game long. She finished with a team-high 14 points.</span> &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="267165" first="Taryn" last="Fierri"] - 5’9’’ - SG - ’23</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Fierri is as lethal as it gets from the outside. Her 12 points came from long-range bombs, and she hit a couple of huge ones in the third quarter to help get Norton back into the game. Fierri doesn’t need any daylight to fire off deep three-pointers confidently, and her quick release off of the catch makes her hard to defend. </span> &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="398727" first="Ella" last="Tetrault"] - 5’2’’ - CG - ’24</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Tetrault became one of my favorite players from the evening when, in the 1st quarter, she hustled back on defense and took a big charge to swing momentum back in Norton’s favor. She is a high-energy and motor athlete who gives 100% on defense and makes big plays. Tetrault is also a very good outside shooter and had 3 threes for 9 total points. The threat of Tetrault behind the arc opened up the inside for slashing opportunities for Norton all night long. </span> &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="288732" first="Mikayler" last="Patch"] - 5’9’’ - SF/PF - ’22</strong> <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-398733" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/09/fullsizeoutput_80ac-crop-1217x799-1646915079-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Patch finished with 9 points, and most came in the 4th quarter. Norton needed some production inside, and Patch provided strong takes into the lane. I liked how aggressive Patch was from the opening tip, and that relentless attacking paid off at the end when she got her offense going in critical situations for Norton. </span> &nbsp;