MMU Holiday Tournament: D1 Essex vs D2 North Country

With two defensive minded teams going head-to-head and a lack of early season rhythm, buckets were at a premium in this one! The halftime score was 10-9, but each side opened it up a bit as the second half wore on. Check out the standouts below!   [player_tooltip player_id='645601' first='Sabine' last='Brueck'], 5'8 G - North Country Union H.S. Class of 2025   It looked as if Sabine was constantly hounded from EHS' full court pressure, but in fact, Brueck managed the pressure quiet well. Sabine organized the offense, found teammates for open shots, and put pressure on the rim herself with crafty slashes. Moreover, she put in a ton of work on the glass, helping a rather undersized NCU team take care of the boards. From there, Sabine burst into transition to make plays and get to the FT line, finishing with a game high 13 points. One of the top two-way players around.   [player_tooltip player_id='649622' first='Maya' last='Auger'], 5'8 G - North Country Union H.S. Class of 2024   The first few quarters were a struggle for everyone in this matchup, but Auger had added difficulty as she managed foul trouble. Nonetheless, Maya found rhythm as the fourth frame came around. She scored all of her seven points in the 4th, knocking down a 3 and attacking the cup. Furthermore, she added a needed pressure release for Brueck, serving as the secondary ballhandler where she navigated ball pressure and fired passes to teammates to attack. The backcourt duo of Sabine and Maya is top tier in D2 and the state at large.   McKenna Rowell, 5'9 W - North Country Union H.S. Class of 2027   It was my first-time seeing McKenna play and I'm excited to see where she takes her game. Rowell showed versatility on the defensive end, matching up with big forwards and wings alike. On-ball she played tough defense, sliding feet and using her body. Plus, her weak side defense was quite aware and well-positioned. Offensively, McKenna is still a little raw; she moved the ball well and moved into position intuitively, yet not quite a threat on that end of the floor. I'm excited to see her get more comfortable out there.   [player_tooltip player_id='446535' first='Breya' last='Montague'], 5'9 G - Essex H.S. Class of 2024   Montague is the engine for this EHS squad. Breya's the floor general that organizes EHS on both ends; her vocal leadership and effort to create offensively out of the pnr and bring the heat defensively shone through. I liked how she got downhill out of ball screens and attacked the rim, collecting FT's and playing through contact. Montague splashed a 3 as well, collecting nine points on the night. Plus, her ball pressure combined with her long wingspan disrupted North Country at large, even as NCU scrapped together a big 4th at the FT line. Breya ties it together for Essex.   [player_tooltip player_id='576153' first='Alexa' last='Rabidoux'], 5'7 G - Essex H.S. Class of 2025   A tough two-way player in her own right, Lexi's smart defense, ball movement, and slashing stood out in this one. Rabidoux's quick feet and active hands were troublesome for NCU's guards, especially as EHS looked to hawk their top two ballhandlers and force others to make plays. On the offensive end, Lexi passed the ball well, hitting teammates on time, giving them that split second advantage. Moreover, she added eight points off a couple slashes and a deep 3-ball to bring Essex back into striking distance in the final minute. Tough stuff from Lexi.   [player_tooltip player_id='446534' first='Bianca' last='Williams'], 5'10 W - Essex H.S. Class of 2024   While there were times Bianca seemed to fade into the background, she did lead EHS with 12 on the night off of a couple spot-up 3s and lays at the rim. And those 12 were vital; buckets were hard to come by all game, evidenced by a 10-9 halftime score. Nonetheless, Williams' impact defensively is obvious with her size and athleticism, plus she collected a few rebounds and sparked some transition opportunities out of the press. I'm hoping to see Bianca strike a rhythm and unleash her full potential.

With two defensive minded teams going head-to-head and a lack of early season rhythm, buckets were at a premium in this one! The halftime score was 10-9, but each side opened it up a bit as the second half wore on. Check out the standouts below!