READING, Mass. — We're entering the closing weeks of the NEPSAC regular season, and I had a couple more boxes to check for teams I hadn't seen play live.
Two such squads were Austin Prep and Phillips Andover, who met at Austin Prep Wednesday evening. Though 2026 top prospect Fope Ayo was out for Austin Prep, explosive guard Tiffany Burns was making her return alongside some other solid talent.
That wouldn't be enough to overcome Phillips Andover, who might be one of the more underrated teams in the Class A playoff picture. Despite a super young roster with eight underclassmen and one senior, Phillips Andover improved to 13-7 with a convincing, 63-36 victory. They led 27-24 at the half before giving up just 12 points the rest of the way, aided by some swarming zone defense and balanced scoring.
Here are five standouts from the matchup.
