D1 Semis Battle – #1 St. J vs #4 CVU

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In a game characterized by a greasy basketball, it proved difficult for both sides to string together clean passes and buckets. Yet in the midst of the hardwood havoc, out came a handful of standouts who shimmered in the St. J victory. Lock in!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='645602' first='Cassidy' last='Kittredge'], 5'10 W - St. Johnsbury Academy Class of 2025</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>VT's top shooter made it known early. She went on to knock down three 3s in the first quarter out of various scenarios including a college range sidestep 3 out of a ball screen, a transition 3 she walked into, and a crisp one off the catch plus an easy two off a smart backcut for 11 Q1 points. The scoring slowed afterwards, but her interior defense out of the zone kept a lid on the basket as she tipped entry passes, contested shots, and rebounded to prevent 2nd chance buckets, capturing seven boards on the night. A steady presence who committed 0 turnovers, shot 5-8 from the field including the 3-5 from range in 30 minutes of action. Clinical.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Adrianna Hever, 5'9 W - St. Johnsbury Academy Class of 2025</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It took time to find some offensive rhythm, but that didn't stop Hever from exerting her energy elsewhere. Adrianna's dynamic movement from the low wing of the extended 2-3 zone had CVU flustered as she pressured the ball, got in wing passing lanes for two steals, and rotated hard to the inside when a high post entry from the opposite side of the floor threatened interior scoring opportunities. In the last 90 seconds of the first half, the southpaw took the lid off the basket with a nice snaking lefty drive from the right wing and then finished a little floater moments later as she rolled out of the pnr. Contributing a 3 ball in H2, she finished with seven vital points and plenty of defensive activity. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Addison Ely, 5'6 G - St. Johnsbury Academy Class of 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The spark plug guard provided what she often does, hustle and organization. Addi's disruptive activity at the top of the zone played large part in CVU's offensive woes and it culminated in three steals along with generally stifled flow. And offensively, Ely led all players with a game-high four assists on clinical reads, hitting shooters off her drives or finding a cutter flashing into the key. Plus, the hardnosed guard did well to organize in the halfcourt albeit with a handful of turnovers. Addi's two-way play and feistiness brings St. J ever closer to that elusive State Title.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='584222' first='Zoey' last='McNabb'], 5'8 G - Champlain Valley Union H.S. Class of 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was Zoey who orchestrated essentially everything for the Redhawks. McNabb organized and moved the ball carefully, hit a couple 3s to stretch the zone, and managed to slice through with quick moves off the catch or ball screens which bent the defense, where she could then puncture. In turn she provided dishes inside and out for open looks, drew fouls for FTs (4-5), and finagled a beautiful finish off savvy footwork which had the defense warped as the Q3 buzzer blew. Defensively, Zoey utilized her length + agility to stifle St. J's top offensive player after an early eruption and rebound the rock, collecting three steals and four rebounds. Her offensive creation (12 points), care for the ball, and defense carried CVU.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Rose Bunting, 5'9 W - Champlain Valley Union H.S. Class of 2025</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The role player provided everything she was expected to. Bunting's physical and smart defense had her switching intuitively onto various matchups, locking them down for tough decisions which equaled four steals, and scrapping for rebounds and loose balls. Rose managed to create a bit of offense from her defense, getting out in transition for a couple well-paced finishes amidst contests. A relentless effort from the senior. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->