MIAA D2 States: The Orlando Bloom

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The #29 seeded Notre Dame Academy (Hingham) hosted #36 Chicopee Comp in the first round of the MIAA Division 2 State Tournament. NDA went on to win 68-50, but the game was much closer than the score indicates. A second-quarter scoring explosion by NDA’s budding ’26 prospect opened the game up and gave the team a 17 point lead heading into the half. Chicopee Comp made a run in the 4th quarter and cut the deficit to 11 but could not get over the hump to give NDA a real scare. Notre Dame Academy will play #4 Walpole in the next round. </span> &nbsp; <strong>Player of the Game: </strong> <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-395455" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/BEA56C7E-0684-470D-A859-65388879F517-scaled-crop-1852x1216-1646247024-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="270726" first="Ava" last="Orlando"] - NDA - 5’5’’ - PG - ’25</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Orlando did not get her scoring going until the second half, but I thought her facilitating was top-notch throughout the game. She excelled at drawing multiple defenders with her crafty and tactical penetration and located shooters all night long. She fell 1 assist shy of a double-double to go with her game-high 22 points. In the third quarter, Orlando started getting to the basket at will and drew fouls. Her quickness and agility were too much for Chicopee Comp to handle, and Orlando began to hit jump shots in the second half, making her more dangerous. The responsibility Orlando takes on each game does not go unnoticed either. She plays every minute, and her usage rate is sky-high. To shoulder the offensive load every night and be as effective as she always is impresses me. </span> &nbsp; <strong>NDA Standouts: </strong> <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-395458" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/ADA8642E-95BE-4A01-B343-85C68BDC921F-crop-1365x897-1646247313-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="395457" first="Elle" last="Orlando"] - 5’5’’ - CG - ’26</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">This first-round matchup was very competitive at the start. With NDA up 13-10 after the first period, it looked like this would be a close game throughout. [player_tooltip player_id="395457" first="Elle" last="Orlando"] thought differently and gave her team a big spark. She scored 14 of her 19 points in the second quarter, including 4 three-pointers. She moved well without the ball on offense and made sure to always find the open spot on the floor for a catch and shoot opportunity. Orlando also had a couple of nice drives that led to made field goals. She is not as athletic as her older sister, Ava, but she has the confidence and ball control to be effective as a wing slasher. </span> &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="395460" first="Ava" last="Foley"] - 5’8’’ - PF - ’22</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Foley was the key on defense. She was very good at denying the post and got her hands on many post-entry passes. Her disruption in the halfcourt was good all game long. Foley’s activity on the perimeter broke up many Chicopee Comp passes, and they had trouble executing their offense due to Foley’s relentlessness. She chipped in 16 points and 8 rebounds and had great chemistry with [player_tooltip player_id="270726" first="Ava" last="Orlando"]. Foley knocked down 3 three-pointers and hit a couple of mid-range jumpers, too.</span> &nbsp; <strong>Chicopee Comp Standouts:</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="395462" first="Taryn" last="Carriveau"] - 5’7’’ - CG - ’25</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">The freshman Carriveau impressed me a lot in this game as she led her team in scoring with 20. Carriveau was a significant reason why Chicopee Comp made a slight 4th quarter push. Her three-level scoring was efficient, and she got any shot she wanted in that period. I liked Carriveau’s toughness and assertiveness on offense. She knifes in the paint with power and has the agility and footwork to snake around defenders. Evaluating her skill set and body of work for the first time, I like Carriveau as a borderline top 50 prospect in the ’25 class. </span> &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="395461" first="Eliza" last="Burger"] - 5’9’’ - SG/SF - ’25</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Another talented freshman on the  Chicopee Comp roster popped in this tournament game as well. The lefty wing finished with 11 points, and I liked how well she used the mid-range to her advantage. Burger got her team started on the right foot with some shots from 10-15 feet and then stretched the floor more in the second half with a three. I like Burger’s upside, and with her size and scoring prowess, she should be a prospect to watch this spring/summer.</span>