NEPSAC A Tourney: Rag-Dahled

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Wednesday evening, I checked out some NEPSAC Class A action featuring #1 Thayer vs. #8 Hotchkiss. Despite the vast difference in seeding, this game was a close physical battle in the first half. Hotchkiss was competing hard defensively, holding Thayer to 4 points in the second quarter that found them down 6 heading into halftime. A monster third quarter by one of ’23’s finest sharpshooters helped give the team enough cushion to pull away and win 47-37. Thayer advances and will play Sacred Heart, Greenwich in the semi-finals. </span> &nbsp; <strong>Player of the Game: </strong> <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-396138" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/C4B289B2-8C5F-42D1-A806-9A4E8EBD2253-crop-1362x895-1646400444-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="184821" first="Emma" last="Dahl"] - Thayer - 5’9’’ - SG - ’23</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Dahl’s third quarter was the difference in this game. She set the tone defensively and was on fire on offense. Dahl scored 14 of her game-high 16 points in the third, and she unleashed her mid-range package against the Hotchkiss defense. I am used to Dahl lighting it up from three, but she took advantage of the open driving lanes and aggressively got to her spots consistently. Defensively, Dahl turned up her pressure and was very physical at the top of Thayer’s zone defense. The Hotchkiss guards had trouble getting into a rhythm on offense, and it was because of the length and size of Dahl giving them fits on the perimeter. </span> &nbsp; <strong>Thayer Standouts:</strong> <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-396142" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/06/IMG_0322-crop-1064x699-1646400614-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="266710" first="Aoibhe" last="Gormley"] - 5’8’’ - PG - ’23</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Gormley put her imprint on the game early with a couple of and-ones that showed her upper body strength, control, and finishing ability. Gormley got to the line a lot in this game and put pressure on Hotchkiss defenders throughout the game with relentless slashing and pushing the tempo in transition. </span> &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="183962" first="Claire" last="McCarthy"] - 5’9’’ - SF - ’22</strong> <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-396143" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/01/C59214ED-4A78-4F0C-84CA-353D816311FF-scaled-crop-1707x1121-1646400654-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">McCarthy always makes plays at crucial points in the game. She had 13 points, with 6 coming from the free-throw line. You could expect a tough move towards the hoop or a good pass that set up her teammates whenever she got the ball. In the 4th quarter, McCarthy hit timely jump shots to halt any potential run Hotchkiss attempted to go on. </span> &nbsp; <strong>Hotchkiss Standouts:</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="368851" first="Kaila" last="Richards"] - 5’7’’ - PG - ’25</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Richards was named a NEPSAC Class A All-Star and led her team to the 8th seed as a freshman. I was intrigued to see how she would do against a team like Thayer, who has played at a high level all season. Richards had 10 points, and she was very effective off the dribble. Her first basket of the game was a contested three off the bounce that Richards made look easy. She is a great off-hand ball-handler, is tough, and gives max effort at all times. Richards has a bright future and a high ceiling because of her talent level, and she possesses a winning intangible. </span> &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="396149" first="Leanna" last="Wells"] - 5’8’’ - SG - ’23</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Wells also had 10 points and stretched the floor with a three, but her defense got my attention. In the second quarter, her strength and quickness on [player_tooltip player_id="266710" first="Aoibhe" last="Gormley"] helped slow down Thayer and got Hotchkiss back in the game. Wells cut off driving and passing angles while making the Thayer guards pick up their dribble prematurely. Her activity on defense and offensive production gave Hotchkiss a nice two-way spark on the wing. </span> &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="395780" first="Maya" last="Bateau"] - 6’0’’ - PF - ’24</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Bateau didn’t light the box score on fire, but I liked the energy she brought to the Hotchkiss frontline. Her athleticism was displayed on the offensive glass as she flew in from the perimeter to grab rebounds over the Thayer players. Bateau’s size, length, and athleticism give the prospect a ton of upside, and her development will be something to track this spring and summer.</span>