DEDHAM, Mass. — We've already received a bunch of marquee matchups to open the winter prep season, but few so far have been as highly-anticipated as Nobles hosting Tilton on Saturday.
The clash was a rematch of last year's NEPSAC Class AA championship game, when the Bulldogs fended off a Rams comeback attempt to win their second straight title. Now both teams are in the new Class AAA, with Nobles ranked second in our power rankings followed by Tilton in third.
The script was similar Saturday. Nobles built up a lead that grew to 19 points in the second half. Tilton closed strong, cutting the deficit to 70-63 late, but Nobles sealed the deal with a 76-65 victory.
Several players had highlight moments throughout the high-scoring afternoon. Here are seven who stood out during the contest.
Brynn Bryant, Nobles
Class of 2026, 5-6 guard
Hometown: Dedham, Mass.
For the Bulldogs to win a third consecutive championship, they'll need to find production outside of their senior stars. On Saturday, it was Bryant who impressed with eight points off the bench. She's a quick point guard with an explosive first step that helped her get into the point and draw fouls. Bryant was also very active off the ball. At times, you could hear Nobles coach Alex Gallagher imploring his players to move more. Bryant was the most consistent impact cutter, and she got rewarded a few times by her teammates. I'm definitely marking her as a rising rotation player to watch.
Jasmyn Cooper, Nobles
Class of 2025, 6-1 forward
Hometown: North Easton, Mass.
The Big Three scored 60 of Nobles' 76 points on Saturday. All three were clicking, and we'll start with Cooper, who logged 17 points and a handful of assists. The Syracuse commit, ranked No. 48 nationally by ESPN, knocked down a couple of clean step-back 3-pointers and showed off her scoring versatility and advanced handle at her size. Cooper was able to use some crossovers and drives to break down the defense and make passes out of it. Add in a ferocious block from behind on a Tilton 3-point attempt, and Cooper gave us another strong all-around effort.
Ashley Dinges, Nobles
Class of 2025, 6-0 forward
Hometown: Haverhill, Mass.
Dinges would be my game MVP pick. The Providence commit tallied 22 points and 7 rebounds, and her buckets game in all different forms. She crossed over her defender into a pull-up 3, she scored as a roller out of a ball screen, and she was hard to stop finishing through contact on her signature power drives. I also liked one play where Dinges drove to the free throw line and had to pick up her dribble, but quickly found a face-cutting Bryant for an easy layup. Her high motor and processing ability were on full display.
Christina Pham, Nobles
Class of 2025, 5-7 guard
Hometown: South Boston, Mass.
Pham opened her scoring with an and-1 layup and finished with 21 points. That included four 3s; I was most impressed by one make where she grabbed a pass near her knees and was still able to rise into her form without issue. I was hoping we would get to see more of the full scoring guard Pham can be this season. Between this game and her explosion Sunday (more to come on that), the Fairfield commit is primed for some big-time performances this winter.
Colleen Phiri, Tilton
Class of 2025, 5-11 guard/forward
Hometown: Haverhill, Mass.
Phiri and Cooper went toe-to-toe in some awesome individual matchups. The Colgate commit racked up 24 points and 10 rebounds, showing why she made our preseason All-New England team. Her combination of ball-handing, pure physical strength and shooting touch is rare. Phiri went coast-to-coast for layups and shook defenders on drives. Tilton also drew up some pick-and-pop actions for Phiri, one leading to a 3-point make.
Brooke Golden, Tilton
Class of 2026, 6-3 center
Hometown: Chester, N.H.
Golden was a dominant rebounder; I had her with 10 boards and that's probably a low count. Her size and length allowed her to simply outreach smaller opponents on several chances, and her effort really picked up in the second half. Golden also scored 12 points off of putbacks and some short-mid-range makes. Though Golden's assist count wasn't high, I saw her make some great passing out of situations where she appeared trapped.
Bela Cucuta, Tilton
Class of 2026, 5-10 guard
Hometown: Newington, Conn.
It took Cucuta some time to get going, but she had a prolific second half and ended up with 14 points. Cucuta's signature strength is her limitless shooting range, and she did make two 3-pointers, but I was more impressed with some of her work off the dribble. It feels like she glides to the basket when she drives, and she does a nice job of mixing up her tempo. Cucuta is one of the top transfers this winter and she'll have a lot more for us as she acclimates to NEPSAC.
Quick shouts:Â Nobles freshman Aliyah Allston-Pujols opened the game by backing down her defender in the post for a layup, then did it again later on. She's a 5-10 guard, but her confidence, particularly on these moves, is impressive. ... Tilton senior Hannah Lynch played great defense in the fourth quarter with a stretch of three steals that helped the Rams' comeback attempt. ... Maddie McCaffery drilled a deep sidestep 3 at the first-quarter buzzer for Tilton. She's a quick, sweet-shooting 2026 guard I'm excited to see more of this winter.
