QUINCY, Mass. — Quincy and Notre Dame (Hingham) are two elite MIAA teams with contrasting play styles. The Presidents, just outside the top 10 of our Power Rankings, want to play inside-out, getting the ball inside to their frontcourt playmakers before kicking and swinging it around to shooters. Meanwhile, the Cougars, ranked ninth, lean on the Orlando sisters to force defenses to adapt, which opens up additional scoring opportunities.
That made Saturday's matchup in the Quincy Holiday Tournament a must-see for me. The host Presidents came out on top in the early-season test, pulling away in the second half to earn a 67-49 win.
"I think it's a good first test," Quincy coach Sarah Conlon said. "It helps us for tournament prep; it's a really great possible tournament prep game where don't know a lot about (an opponent), or we know a little bit, and we have a little bit of time to kind of get ready and go."
The Presidents (4-0) surged to start the contest and went up 20-9 in the first half. The Cougars (3-0) swiped back to end the second quarter with a run powered by Ava Orlando's shotmaking prowess. They trailed 25-24 at halftime and took brief leads early in the third quarter, but Quincy's frontcourt duo of Niamh Gendron and Alyssa Hopps dug in. They combined for 50 of Quincy's 67 totals points, including 31 of 42 in the second half.
"I thought in the second quarter, when we got the punch back and they started getting hot and shooting really well — it's kind of gut-check time, and I'm glad we responded," Conlon said.
Here are five standouts from the matchup.
Niamh Gendron, Quincy
Class of 2025, 5-11 forward
Eighteen of Gendron's 25 points came in the second half as she led Quincy's effort in pulling away. She drilled four 3-pointers and demonstrated a confident, consistent catch-and-shoot form. But Gendron also drove from the wing for one layup and was active as a cutter, including one nice give-and-go bucket from teammate Taylor Mann. Conlon had alerted me to Gendron's breakout potential before the season, and she could be a game-changing piece for Quincy's ultimate hopes in Division 1. She's drawing interest from some of the high-academic engineering schools at the Division 3 college level.
"She started having a little bit more confidence (in the second half), started to click, and then her taking it to the hoop is just something she's added lately. She's going to be a heck of a player in a few years," Conlon said.
Alyssa Hopps, Quincy
Class of 2025, 5-11 forward
Hopps' second-effort plays and offensive rebounds in particular — she wound up with 14 total boards — helped the Presidents preserve the win through multiple Cougar comeback attempts. She also scored 25 points, many off putback layups and low post moves. Hopps has great footwork and a long, strong frame, and she can finish with both hands around the basket. The Cougars threw zone looks at Quincy that kept Hopps from getting many touches, but she still flashed her vision and ability to make the right pass out of the post. She's a Babson commit and now just three points shy of 1,000 ahead of Quincy's Monday game against Weymouth.
Conlon was proud of how Hopps willingly adjusted to make an impact, even when she wasn't getting the ball in the ways she was used to.
"We haven't seen a zone yet (this season), so this was our first introduction to pretty much every zone ever played," Conlon said. "But her doing little things like sucking the defense out, even when she's not getting the ball (were important), and I thought it was a really big sign of maturity to go get the rebound. It's a one-on-one at that point, and you have the advantage if you can get it."
Rory Kennedy, Quincy
Class of 2027, 5-8 guard
I'm a fan of Quincy's sophomore backcourt tandem of Kennedy and Frankie Diaz. Kennedy drew the Ava Orlando assignment on defense, and though Ava won the matchup when she had the ball one-on-one, Kennedy deserves a ton of credit for tracking Ava off the ball and keeping her from getting quality catch-and-shoot chances. She's also a strong 3-point shooter in her own right and made two Saturday as part of her eight points.
"We ask a lot of Rory," Conlon said. "We ask Rory to be a point guard at times, our lockdown defender, one of our shooters, and she is so stoic about it. She just goes out and does her job."
Ava Orlando, Notre Dame (Hingham)
Class of 2025, 5-7 guard
It took some time for the shots to fall, but Ava Orlando showed why she's one of the state's most prolific scorers, tallying 19 points. She has a complete packages of moves off the dribble, and she drew a loud crowd reaction with this hesitation step-through move she used to shake a defender near the basket on a drive. Ava turned up her defensive intensity during the middle portion of the contest and made it tough for Quincy to swing the ball around the perimeter. There wasn't very much fast-paced transition play in this game, but she was threatening during those situations as a scorer and passer.
Elle Orlando, Notre Dame (Hingham)
Class of 2026, 5-6 guard
Elle Orlando, one of the MIAA's top shooters, had a tough off-day and didn't make a 3-pointer until the third quarter. She scored 14 of her 16 points in the second half. Elle is similar to her sister in that they both demand defensive attention when they move without the ball. But Elle is more of a physical driving scorer and can power past defenders to get to the rim, while Ava relies on her handle and pull-up scoring. Elle also was active and frustrating for Quincy as a perimeter defender, and she was able to get some layups off of forced turnovers.
