D1 St. J vs D1 CVU: A New Top Dog

Wow, what a fun game to watch. I mean, just the history between the two programs is enough to warrant a trip to Hinesburg after watching these two battle it out in the Championship last year. But the strategy and adjustments made by each squad, a clutch finish, and the energy in the building culminated in an outstanding Friday night game. Check out the standouts in what was potentially a Finals preview!   [player_tooltip player_id='579572' first='Hayden' last='Wilkins'], 5'8 G - St. Johnsbury Academy Class of 2024   There's this feel that when Hayden is on the floor, anything is possible. Wilkins steered the ship against CVU's shapeshifting zone defense, navigating the pressure well and settling everyone else in with savvy distribution. Moreover, her three treys and sheer lethality of her shooting forced the defense to stretch, and over the game those holes on the backside of the zone opened up. On the defensive end, Wilkins' activity caused a few steals, taking the well-oiled machine of CVU out of rhythm at times. Then came the late game heroics; it's uncanny at this point. Hayden sunk the game winning jumper with 20 seconds left and finished with 11 to seal the road win in one of the toughest gyms to do so. Sheer excellence.   [player_tooltip player_id='649625' first='Kaia' last='Anderson'], 5'9 W/F - St. Johnsbury Academy Class of 2024   You know precisely what you're getting with Kaia; it's defense, rebounding, and heady offensive play. Anderson's versatile defensive prowess and rebounding bolstered St. J against a CVU team with significant size. And offensively, Kaia stitched it all together. Her passing kept the zone moving, and her off-ball movement constantly put her in advantageous position, filling it up with duck ins and weak side drives for buckets at the rim. Her offensive connectivity, sound defense, and game clinching rebound were key to snatching this one.   [player_tooltip player_id='592897' first='Anna' last='Ebert'], 5'8 G/W - St. Johnsbury Academy Class of 2026   The more I see Anna the more I like how she's developing. Ebert's rugged, physical defense paired with her footwork allow her to cover all kinds of players, and on this night, she took on the tough 5'11 PG of CVU. Ebert did well to contain the savvy distribution from Elise, matching her physicality and sticking to her hip. Offensively, Anna had back-to-back and-1 drives in the 1st half to build momentum, and then her work out of the high post greased St. J's offense as she picked apart the zone with passing and another couple finishes. Two-way game.   [player_tooltip player_id='645602' first='Cassidy' last='Kittredge'], 5'11 G/W - St. Johnsbury Academy Class of 2025   You have to know where Kittredge is, cause if you don't, her quick release and smooth stroke will break a defense down. Cassidy's nine points came primarily off of her smart relocation against the zone defense. She's knock-down from so many spots, in this one it was the mid-range, hitting multiple catch-and-shoot jumpers against close outs. Plus, she moved the ball well, using her gravity and quick decision making to feed teammates and force the defense to scramble. Smart defensively with good length, Cassidy does all the little things quite well.   Adriana Hever, 5'9 W - St. Johnsbury Academy Class of 2025   Hever came in off the pine for St. J and provided a spark that proved critical. Adriana lifted St. J in the first half with two threes from nearly the same spot, hitting her shots with quick catch-and-shoot rhythm. That floor spacing was needed against the CVU zone, plus, Adriana's ability to attack off the bounce and find teammates came full circle when she drove baseline with about 20 seconds left and kicked it out to Hayden for the game-winning jumper. Hever's offensive juice and defensive work ethic gave that extra push the Hilltoppers needed.   Elise Berger, 5'11 G - Champlain Valley Union H.S. Class of 2024   I haven't given Elise as much airtime as she deserves, she's the engine behind this CVU supercar. Berger's defensive presence was felt far and wide, covering a lot of distance quickly with her size and length. Elise's causation of turnovers opened up some transition offense early, making nice feeds in the open court. In addition, Elise rebounded the rock on both ends, collecting a number of 2nd chance points including a key finish in the last minute of the game to go up one. But her offensive orchestration is a thing of beauty with her crafty passing + court vision. A natural distributor who can defend 2-5 and rebound.   [player_tooltip player_id='584222' first='Zoey' last='McNabb'], 5'7 G - Champlain Valley Union H.S. Class of 2026   McNabb's defensive pressure at the head of the zone gave St. J some difficulty over the course of the game, getting her hands in the passing lanes and causing a few turnovers, thus turning up the fastbreak offense. Her foot speed is exceptional, she has a positive wingspan, and her motor is all there. On the offensive end, Zoey led all scorers with 15. McNabb got to the rim in transition, hit a few jumpers from the mid-range, and added a trey as well. Plus, her passing and off-ball movement was all there. Savvy play from a flourishing guard.   [player_tooltip player_id='654918' first='Merrill' last='Jacobs'], 5'9 G/W - Champlain Valley Union H.S. Class of 2024   Merrill's steadiness is undeniable. Jacobs impacted the game with her shot-making, sound passing, and defensive activity. Her 13-points came off of a few threes and some interior buckets, finding the range with her smart relocation and spot-up shooting. Plus, Merrill's ability to find the right pass and get it there on time had CVU in rhythm. Defensively, she's a tight rotator and measured with her ball pressure. And her communication + leadership ties CVU together. A key component for this team.

Wow, what a fun game to watch. I mean, just the history between the two programs is enough to warrant a trip to Hinesburg after watching these two battle it out in the Championship last year. But the strategy and adjustments made by each squad, a clutch finish, and the energy in the building culminated in an outstanding Friday night game. Check out the standouts in what was potentially a Finals preview!