Click here for a photo slideshow of the game
BOSTON - Division 4 is the only MIAA basketball tournament that rightly ends with the state final in the TD Garden, the most prestigious hoops venue in New England. Divisions 1, 2 and 3 must play their semifinals in the TD Garden then wrap their prolonged seasons up with a state final this weekend at the DCU Center in Worcester.
After yesterday's 50-40 win by unbeaten Cohasset (25-0) over Manchester Essex (13-13) in the Division 4 girls' state final, the finality of the contest was on full display afterwards. Three Skippers concluded their high school careers with their second state title in three years while conversely, four Hornets played their last games and had to suffer the pain of not only losing in the state final for the second time in three years but to the same team no less.
Manchester Essex senior co-captain and forward Julia Martz noticed a different approach in her team's mentality coming into yesterday versus two years ago.
"I think we came into today, not thinking that we were at the Garden," said Martz, who scored 11 points. "We came into it thinking we wanted to win. We talked a lot as a team and focused on the game rather than just being here. We put two years ago behind us and focused on winning."
The clear MVP of the game was Cohasset senior guard Meredith Kelly, who dropped a game-high 19 points, including 15 points in the first half. Manchester Essex's defense was focused on Skippers senior center Tori Lehr (11 points, 14 rebounds), who's going to play at St. Anselm's and that allowed Kelly to take over.
"She had a tremendous game, she's really quick," said Hornets head coach Lauren Dubois, who ironically played basketball at Bates College which is where the versatile Kelly is also headed to. "She finished her shots and attacked the basket well. We were worried about the post players (Cohasset listed six players six feet or taller) so we doubled down there. Kelly got a lot of openings and she made them count, that was big for them tonight."
Other than a very early 6-2 lead in the first quarter, Manchester Essex played from behind the whole way and they eventually ran out of energy against a polished, smart team. The Hornets cut it to 15-14 in the second quarter but the Skippers scored ten straight points to take a 25-14 lead into halftime.
Kelly's fingerprints were all over the win, especially her seven points in the first quarter which steadied her team and her eight points in the second quarter which pulled them away. She also did a great job of slowing down Manchester Essex superstar junior guard Lizzy Ball, who had 14 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three steals but was held to just two first half points.
"I played defense against her the whole game, she's a very good player," noted Kelly. "She's really quick and drives to the basket hard. I covered her two years ago too so I knew what she was like and we watched them play Fenway. I had an idea but it's hard to stop her."
Kelly noticed what a change it was to be a team leader as a senior rather than a timid sophomore. "It's a lot different, as a sophomore I never took the role of stepping up or getting the team together. As a senior, it was us who had to do that."
Martz was mature enough to acknowledge her younger teammates and the promise they've shown, winning nine in a row before yesterday.
"I have a lot of confidence in the team next year," Martz says. "Hopefully they can take after us and keep it going."
