Girls Hoop D3 Semifinal Previews
Here's a game-by-game look at the two western Mass. girls Division semifinals set for Tuesday at the Curry Hicks Cage. I'll have the Division 1 and 2 semifinal previews for Wednesday posted on Tuesday night.
Quarterfinals record: 8-4
Overall record: 18-5
SEMIFINALS
Division 3
No. 1 Lee (16-5) vs. No. 4 Sabis (15-6), 5 p.m.
Head to head: Did not play
How they got here: Lee beat Lenox 52-33; Sabis beat New Leadership 78-57
Players to watch: Lee: Katie Eckert, Megan Gangell, Rebecca Webb, Tara Dooley; Sabis: Alexis Chappell, Jaimee Collins, Olivia Schnorf, Jazmine Collins,
Winner gets: A trip to the finals on Saturday at 10:45 a.m.
Notes: Lee at the Cage? You're kidding! The Wildcats return once again to the semifinals and look to reach the championship game for the 20th time in the last 22 years. These teams were 1-2 in our rankings for a while during the midseason until Sabis struggled down the stretch, but the Bulldogs' quarterfinal win over New Leadership, which ended the career of the state's all-time leading scorer (Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir) showed that they were back on track. Lee will certainly bring the defense and fundamentals that has lead to its utter dominance of the Division 3 field for all these years. Sabis needs a near-perfect performance to knock the Wildcats off here.
Pick: Lee
No. 2. Monson (17-4) vs. No. 3 Ware (15-4), 6:30 p.m.
Head to head: Split the season with home team winning each
How they got here: Monson beat McCann 64-33; Ware beat Smith Academy 65-54
Players to watch: Monson: senior guard Martine Turgeon, junior forward Meghan Boyle; Ware: junior guard/forward Justine King and senior guard Danielle Lavalley
Winner gets: A trip to the finals on Saturday at 10:45 a.m.
Notes: Big-time Bi-County West rivals meet up in their biggest game ever. Ware is seeking its first trip to the finals since 2001, while Monson has never been the title game. After the home teams won each of this year's two games, it seems only fitting that the rubber match is on neutral ground, at the Cage. Monson takes the size advantage with Boyle, who scored 32 points in the second game (which Ware won), while King (coming off a 38-point performance in the quarters) may be the best player remaining in the D-3 field. If the two prior games are any indication, Ware won 62-58, Monson won 58-55 in OT, this could be one heck of a game.
Pick: Ware
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