Western Mass. Class A & B Tourney Finals: Top Performers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While the MIAA state basketball tournaments have gotten underway in Massachusetts, it's a good time to talk about how some of these top teams have gotten there. We head over to Western Massachusetts and the four class tournaments that wrapped up last weekend, starting with the Class A and Class B finals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Ava Azzaro - Northampton (2024)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After such a hot stretch toward the end of the season, the end result in the Class A final is far from what Azzaro and Northampton wanted to do. However, don't discount the performance the senior had on Saturday, a 12-point effort, scoring all of it exclusively inside the three-point arc. If there's one thing she's been able to do well this season above all, it's score, and she's easily one of the best pure scorers in the region.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Angela Hector - Central (2025)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hector saw Azzaro's interior performance for Northampton and said, 'let me take this a step further.' She didn't just take it a step further, she took it a mile further and then some, a 22-point effort in the Class A final to secure a regional title for her Golden Eagles. Central needed someone to step up big in this game, and she put the team on her back in a spectacular overall performance.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Drew Alley - South Hadley (2024)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Saturday was Drew Alley's day for South Hadley and no one was going to find a way to stop her on the floor. In a Class B tournament final effort, Alley finished one point away from tying a season-high, an 18-point day against Pittsfield. The senior has had some big moments during what's become a 16-game winning streak for South Hadley, but none were more important than Saturday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cara Dean - South Hadley (2027)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dean has been beyond clutch for South Hadley time and time again in her first year on varsity, really stepping up to the challenge of having a veteran presence as an underclassman. The reliance of her team on her just shows her skillset and future potential. Games like Saturday showcased that as she finished with 10 points, knocking down a pair of threes for her sixth 10+ point game over her last seven at that point.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Kyanna Summers - Pittsfield (2026)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Summers was electric for Pittsfield in their semifinal win over Pope Francis, and unfortunately, she and the Generals came up short in the Class B final. Luckily for her, her three-point prowess continued on Saturday, knocking down a pair as she finished with eight points. It wasn't the 22-point effort of the semis, but it showed continued growth and success from her during this sophomore season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->