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BOSTON — Once could be a fluke, but twice is a trend. Now, we can say with some certainty that Cohasset High School is the Manchester Essex girls basketball team's state tournament kryptonite.
For the second time in three years, the Hornets advanced all the way to the Division 4 state title game at TD Garden in Boston. And, for the second time in three years, the North champs were defeated by South champ Cohasset after yesterday's 50-40 loss at the home of the Boston Celtics.
Two years ago, the loss to the Skippers was particularly painful, as Manchester Essex led by five points late in the fourth quarter before eventually losing in overtime. This time around, Cohasset came into the game sporting a 24-0 record, and while Manchester Essex (13-13) could have certainly won yesterday if it played its best game, the Skippers seemed to have an answer for everything that had made the Hornets dominant throughout their five prior postseason games.
So what is it about Cohasset that the Hornets just can't solve?
"It especially stinks that we've lost twice to the same team," said Hornets junior guard Lizzy Ball, who tried her best to keep Manchester Essex in the game with a 14-point, 10-rebound, five-assist effort. "I feel like Cohasset is a team that plays just like us. They press a lot, they're well-conditioned and they're well-coached. They also have great guard and post play and it's difficult to play against that."
Ball experienced first-hand the problems that Cohasset can create. The Cape Ann League All-Star had scored over 20 points in each of the five tourney games prior to yesterday and was averaging nearly 19 points for the year. However, Skippers senior Meredith Kelly (19 points) stuck to Ball like glue all game long, while her teammates doubled whenever it was needed. Ball still had a solid day, but nothing came remotely easy for the Hornets.
Cohasset played controlled chaos defensively, blending the right amount of physicality with smart decision-making. The Skippers clearly flustered Manchester Essex, flipping the script on the Hornets, who had flustered all of their opponents throughout the tournament.
"We dedicated this year to man-to-man defense, to really get down and play it as well as it can be played," said Cohasset head coach John LeVangie. "I thought we did a great job of that (yesterday). Not just on Ball, who is a terrific player, but on their other players too. (Manchester Essex) has some really good players, so all of our kids had to play defense and rebound and they were determined to do it. That was the difference in the game; I think we out-worked them."
It's easy to out-work a team on the boards when you have a height advantage like the Skippers had (seven girls 6-feet or taller). Cohasset also has a roster filled with capable scorers. But as LeVangie mentioned, Cohasset's determination was ultimately the key.
Up until yesterday, the Hornets were clearly the more determined team in all of their tourney games, leading to an average margin of victory of 22 points in the postseason, despite the fact that Manchester Essex was just an 8-12 regular-season team. But Cohasset matched the Hornets will to win, to go along with the size and scoring depth.
The end result was two very good, basically evenly-matched teams. But in the two meetings, the Skippers have proved to be just a tad better.
"Cohasset was really strong two years ago, and this year they are very strong," said Manchester Essex head coach Lauren Dubois. "I think we matched up with them a little bit better two years ago, but they are just a phenomenal team. They play very well together and they know how to win. That's why they're 25-0. They just did what they had to do to win again."
The championship window for both teams is still very much open. Each squad loses three starters, but Cohasset returns 12 of their 15 players and the Hornets will bring back 11 of their 15 players. So Manchester Essex vs. Cohasset Part 3 may very well be in the future, and the Hornets would love to finally conquer their kryptonite.
"We had a great season and it's exciting just to be at the Garden," said Dubois. "Of course we wanted to win, and with this being the second time around, we wanted to win even more. We want to take from this the idea that we battle through the regular season and play a lot of great teams to get ready for the tournament. I wouldn't be surprised if the same thing happens next year and we see Cohasset. It's tough for the seniors, but this was a great place to play your last game."
