Queen B’s – Hive Mind: D1 EHS vs. D2 MUHS Top Performers
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The Essex High School Hornets and Middlebury Union H.S. Tigers got busy Tuesday night. EHS deployed full court pressure to speed up Midd, looking like a beehive as they worked ballhandlers and rotated crisply with a collective Hive Mind mentality.…
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Continue ReadingThe Essex High School Hornets and Middlebury Union H.S. Tigers got busy Tuesday night. EHS deployed full court pressure to speed up Midd, looking like a beehive as they worked ballhandlers and rotated crisply with a collective Hive Mind mentality. Midd weathered the storm and made a few runs to get back in it but couldn’t get over the hump. Check out who put work in this cross-county matchup!
Bianca Williams Bianca Williams 5'10" | SG Essex | 2024 State New E , 5’11 G/W – Essex High School Class of 2024
It’s been a little while since I last saw Bianca play and she’s looking ever more polished and fundamental. Williams demonstrated nice defensive stature and positioning in full court pressure with knees bent, back straight, and hands behind elbows. Bianca also showed nice intuition and quickness to guide players into corners and cut off the sideline well. Moreover, Bianca rebounded the ball at a nice clip on both ends and had to be only one or two shy of a double-double. A two-way player, she created lots of offense as well. Williams had an efficient 20-point night, with most her production coming off of clean two-foot finishes around the cup. In addition, she knocked down a three and spread the ball nicely in both the halfcourt and in transition to assist easy buckets. Bianca showed once again why she’s one of VT’s finest.
Breya Montague Breya Montague 5'9" | SG Essex | 2024 State New E , 5’9 G – Essex High School Class of 2024
Breya has missed a lot of time over the last two years but watching her play you’d barely know. Montague runs the point for EHS as a natural facilitator. She orchestrated well in the halfcourt, getting teammates into spots as she read defensive coverage. In addition, her vision is top notch. Breya saw holes in the defense early and, with great chemistry, sensed where cutters were heading and hit them right on time for easy twos and foul calls. Moreover, she collected a few buckets herself. Breya had a number of transition finishes, free throws, and a trey for 13 total. Montague’s defense was solid too. She collected upwards of five steals and made numerous defensive plays in transition and the halfcourt. Montague’s facilitation led the charge for EHS.
Gabrielle Spagnuolo-Chawla, 5’6 G – Essex High School Class of 2023
This was my first time seeing Gabrielle play and she made a quick first impression. Spagnuolo-Chawla came out firing, knocking down a couple threes early in the first quarter to set the tone. Moreover, she’s a heads-up passer. With great awareness, Gabrielle made nice extra passes on the perimeter to set up teammates with super clean looks. In addition, she made wise kick outs from the second layer as the defense collapsed. Defensively gritty herself, Gabrielle applied nice pressure out of the press. She directed opponents into traps and hustled hard to rotate as Midd sought to break the press. Spagnuolo-Chawla is a 3&D type with her hustle and nice hoop IQ.
Alexa “Lexi” Rabidoux, 5’7 G – Essex High School Class of 2025
Lexi’s shot may have not been sighted in, but she still made a tremendous impact on the game. Rabidoux’s pesky defensive pressure is an integral part of EHS’ full-court defense. She’s aggressive yet measured, as she used agile footwork and good length to apply pressure and disrupt passing lanes. With her high hoop IQ, she rotated nicely out of the press and made sure to close holes as she kept tabs on all five opponents. Lexi grabbed a few steals, pushed the tempo, and showcased wise off-ball movement and decision making in the halfcourt. She slipped behind the zone defense for a few easy buckets, knocked down a three, and zipped the ball around to keep Midd on their heels. Rabidoux does a little of everything for EHS.
Ele Sellers, 6’0 W/F – Middlebury Union High School Class of 2023
With a game high 26, Ele demonstrated nice pace with the ball in her hands and a unique offensive arsenal. Sellers has a crisp handle which she utilized often to break the EHS pressure in a pinch. Ele has a nice right-to-left cross which paired with her hesitation to keep defenders guessing. With that, Ele got into the second layer and showcased a number of runners in the short range. In addition, she collected lots of second chance points, shot a high pct at the FT line, and hit a few threes as well. Moreover, Ele created offense for others with timely advance passes and dishes when the defense swarmed her. Defensively solid, Sellers held down the paint with a few well-timed blocks and had to be near double digits on boards too. Ele is Middlebury’s backbone on both ends.
Solstice Binder, 5’9 W – Middlebury Union High School Class of 2026
I have to say, I was totally impressed with Solstice Tuesday night. Binder came off the bench for Middlebury and immediately made an impact. Solstice too had to be approaching 10+ boards as she hawked the glass on both sides of the ball with her work ethic, anticipation and length. In addition, she collected numerous 50/50 balls and secured precious extra possessions for her team. Furthermore, Binder clogged the paint on the low side of Middlebury’s zone and disrupted passing lanes when out on the perimeter. She also made a few nice plays around the basket, demonstrating nice vision in transition to set up layup opportunities and she finished a few looks herself. Solstice’s hustle and natural feel for the game were apparent from the moment she stepped on the floor. She’s someone I look forward to seeing down the road.