603 Playoffs: Familiar Foes Battle in Round 3

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Cardinals prevail!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The last 3 years of the D1 Championship game have seen familiar programs on the court. The Bishop Guertin Cardinals and the Bedford Bulldogs squared for the third year in a row in the D1 Championship game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Bulldogs took year 1, the Cardinals took year 2, and this year was the ultimate rubber match!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Bulldogs pulled out of the gates leading early and still with a significant lead up through the third, with Junior [player_tooltip player_id='361079' first='Lana' last='McCarthy'] controlling the glass and possessions for Bedford.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Cardinals came from behind and battled to earn the victory and the D1 title, winning 51-45. Senior Brook Paquette (Stonehill commit) took over in the fourth (14 points) and helped lead her team to a 43-42 lead with 2:22 left in the game. She was impressive and the BG showed that they have been in those pressure situations before. The culture of the program, both programs, is impressive as they know how to win, want to win, and work to win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The top players of the game:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- <strong>Brook Paquette</strong> (BG, Stonehill commit) finished with 24 points and was impressive! Her poise, skillset, and leadership combine to make her dynamic on the floor. No matter the game, she wants the ball! Loved her no quit, do it all mental in this game. She has some special intangibles and a strong ability to score, draw fouls, and make defenders make decisions. I think she will develop even more at the next level and contribute early.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='266708' first='Olivia' last='Murray']</strong> (BG, Franklin Pierce commit) displayed her scrappy and competitive guard play, as she has all season. She is the type of player that will give it everything she has to win, no matter her role, match up, or contributions. She has grit, competes start to finish, and has no fear when she plays. She is aggressive in transition, has nice range from the 3, and enjoys distributing the ball. A fun player to watch and has developed her game immensely during her high school years.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='266518' first='Meghan' last='Stack'] </strong>(BG) had 10 points on the night but even more provided a fun and competitive match up in the paint against McCarthy. An agile post with the ability to score in a variety of ways, she had a nice touch around the rim and used her body well on both ends of the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='361079' first='Lana' last='McCarthy']</strong>, Junior, (Bedford) finished the game with an impressive and well-earned 15 points and 14 rebounds. She is a competitive with tons of score ability and even more impressively great timing and hands rebounding the basketball on both ends. She is a force inside and has started to expand her game from midrange to the 3 point line as well. Not hesitant to catch the ball on either end of the floor and dribble, she is going to have a bright future at the next level, wherever she chooses down the road, as her versatility makes her tough to guard and gives her a nice ability to score in different ways.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='282804' first='Kate' last='Allard']</strong>, class of 2024, (Bedford) scored 15 points in the game but is a special player all around and, only a sophomore, is a huge contender for best player in the state her final two years in NHIAA. She can score, her length provides all sorts of challenges on both ends of the floor for opponents, and her athleticism and footwork make her such a fluid moving player on both ends. She has a nice touch midrange and closer and her release on her jumper is smooth. She is a “swish shooter” and elevates well in her shot which makes her release tough to guard. Excited to watch her the next two years, as she continues to simply grow and get better daily and puts the work in on top of that! Her work ethic is special!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='387557' first='Sydney' last='Grogan']</strong>(Bedford) was the leader and floor general for her team throughout the game. A gritty defender, she plays with her heart on her sleeve. Unselfish and hard working, she stayed involved in her team's possessions on both ends of the floor. She stands out by hitting all statistical&nbsp;categories.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='288651' first='Lyla' last='Stein']</strong> (Bedford) is a sophomore and has tons of potential in her game. Her ceiling is high! She is smooth in her movements and jump shot and has a natural eye for the ball. Tough to guard with her athleticism, and smart on the defensive end, she is a player to watch!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->