The NEPSAC quarterfinals truly feel like a blur.
Between 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, every single NEPSAC girls basketball quarterfinal matchup took place. We saw several competitive games in every NEPSAC class and a pair of significant upsets in Class A and Class B Large.
I did my best to watch as much basketball as I could — and when we got to the 4-4:30 p.m. range, with double-digit games happening at once, that became a challenge. But I learned a lot about what each advancing team is capable off and saw some impressive individual performances.
Here are my quick thoughts as we move on to the semifinals.
BRACKET TRACKERS: Class AAA bracket | Class AA bracket | Class A bracket | Class B Large, B Small, C brackets
Class AAA
1. If Tabor guard Molly Corcoran (Medford, Mass.) is shooting this confidently, she can swing every playoff game. The senior and Colgate commit rained down seven 3-pointers as part of a 27-point effort, accounting for nearly half of the third-seeded Seawolves' points in a 58-48 victory against sixth-seeded Dexter Southfield. Corcoran has no issue pulling up from well behind the arc if teams give her even a bit of space, and once she gets going, her energy is infectious for the rest of the team.
She helped Tabor keep Dexter at arm's length for most of the game, unlike in the regular season matchups. Corinne Lomax (Watertown, Conn.) also dominated on the glass and Lily Davis (Waterford, Conn.) added some big buckets late.
2. New Hampton, as it has all season, got a sprinkling of impact moments from just about everyone to fend off Nobles in the 4-vs.-5 matchup, 62-52. During the crucial fourth quarter, Chloe Dix found Elyse Ngenda (Bedford, N.H.) on back-to-back cuts for buckets, and Ngenda later hit a huge 3 off a handoff to put the game out of reach. Ngenda shined with 14 points, with fellow star Serenity Lancaster (17 points, 10 rebounds) adding a statement double-double.
New Hampton's supporting guards also deserve a ton of credit. Ava Perry (Groveland, Mass.) scored 15 points, played great defense and hit a long corner two that helped New Hampton pull away for good. Coach Jamie Bavaro specifically praised Casey Stores (Bellingham, Mass.) and her defensive impact as well, including five deflections. New Hampton will have a tall task in the semifinals against Tilton, but this was a great showcase of the roster's depth.
3. I thought No. 2 Hoosac vs. No. 7 Newman would be close despite seeding, and it was, with Newman leading most of the game before running out of steam in the fourth quarter of a 60-52 defeat. Hoosac flipped a 45-39 deficit into a 53-47 lead. We saw big-time perimeter buckets from Anna Moser (Rutland, Vt.) throughout the game. I also continue to appreciate Tanavia Turpin as probably the most underrated talent in Class AAA. She is such a consistent finisher around the basket and had some great defensive moments when I watched. Hoosac's combination of speed and size across most of the lineup again proved too much.
4. Aside from Tilton's 85-55 rout of St. Andrew's, the AAA quarterfinals on the whole were super competitive as expected. It again speaks to how strong this class is. When we rank out final Top 10 teams after the season, I still might have as many as seven AAA squads on the list even though some didn't advance in the playoffs.
Class AA
5. No. 4 Northfield Mount Hermon opened on a 34-7 run, quickly putting the game out of reach in an eventual 78-51 win against No. 5 Marianapolis.
That was the only AA quarterfinal — but the semifinal matchups are spectacular. NMH advances to play top-seeded Darrow in what's become a great rivalry. Darrow has won the last two contests, both at NMH, by narrow margins, including last year's semifinals. The other matchup is also a semifinal rematch: No. 2 Worcester Academy vs. No. 3 Wilbraham & Monson. The Hilltoppers swept both regular season meetings, but they were close games, including a 54-48 overtime triumph at the AA Midwinter Classic.
Class A
6. Phillips Andover continues a milestone season for the program by making its first semifinal appearance in NEPSAC (in its current form) history, beating Milton Academy in the 4-vs.-5 matchup, 60-52. Jules Stevenson (18 points) led four double-digit scorers along with Emma Moore (14 points), Sophie Stetson (11 points) and Laney Cafua (10 points). When I checked in on this game, I saw Moore (Reading, Mass.) doing a great job of asserting herself in the post and finishing off inside buckets.
7. The biggest upset by seeding in this class was sixth-seeded Taft defeating third-seeded Kent. The 42-39 final doesn't do justice to the roller coaster of this game. The Rhinos led just 16-12 at half, then went up 36-23 before Kent mounted a 19-6 game-winning run. It was 42-39 with 1:44 to go and neither team scored from there. Sara Santimaw was among the impact performers with a 15-point, 11-rebound double-double. Credit to Taft, which had won five of its last six games entering the playoffs, for keeping the momentum rolling.
8. Top seeds Loomis Chaffee and Sacred Heart both secured competitive wins. Lauren Wright (South Glastonbury, Conn.) racked up 23 points and 14 rebounds to lift Loomis over Thayer, 67-50. Sacred Heart got a quality challenge from Choate but survived in a 57-48 win.
Securing a championship rematch between these two teams won't be easy. Taft actually beat Sacred Heart, 59-50, on Jan. 31. Loomis won the head-to-head against Phillips Andover, but it was only a 58-54 final score way back on Dec. 13. I've hyped up the top two seeds as favorites, but I'll be thinking a lot about my predictions for these matchups now that we're here.
Class B Large
9. My favorite player I watched yesterday was Brooks' Summer Warren (Canton, Mass.). The Smith-bound center collected 27 points and powered third-seeded Brooks to victory against a Proctor team that refused to quit. It's clear this team runs through her; Brooks frequently looked to get the ball in Warren's hands where she could score out of the post or on driving layups. She stockpiled offensive rebounds and putbacks, and she often brought the ball up and initiated offense herself.
Around Warren, Brooks has a bunch of capable shooting options and guards who cut consistently. That helped them maintain control of this game even as Proctor made a couple of second-half runs. Credit to Proctor, who was down to six healthy players, for competing. But Brooks is playing high-quality basketball right now and it bodes well for the semifinals.
10. Brooks faces No. 7 seed Berkshire in the semifinals. It was a major upset by seeding, but the Bears and second-seeded Suffield were evenly-matched on paper (though I picked this game wrong). Credit to Berkshire's defense for holding Suffield to multiple stretches of poor shots. That got the Bears a 26-21 halftime lead and a 36-25 second half edge. Suffield roared back, even taking the lead, 40-37, but Berkshire didn't allow them to score in the final 5:40 and wrestled away a 45-40 road victory.
I thought it was a great defensive performance from 2027 center Pearl Dickson, who tallied 12 points and six blocks, providing some of the most assertiveness I've seen from her. Berkshire also has more shooting than I've given them credit for. Leading the way offensively was 2028 forward Lana Orietas, who tallied 23 points with four made 3s. Orietas is an underrated rising name in the region's sophomore class.
11. At first, the St. George's-St. Luke's game was following an eerily similar script to last season's semifinal meeting. Top-seeded St. George's opened on a 13-2 run, but then St. Luke's took all the momentum and went into halftime up 33-28. But instead of folding and losing big like last year, the Dragons fought back, went on a 15-2 run out of the break and hung on to win, 56-50. Presley Foster (Foxboro, Mass.) was huge in keeping St. George's in the game during the first half. She made six of her seven total threes in the first half and ended with a game-high 25 points.
I thought this matchup would be close and believed St. Luke's was better than a No. 8 seed, so this is a quality win for St. George's. The Dragons also totaled 11 steals as a team (including five from Emma Kelleher!) and turned this into a defensive battle I didn't anticipate.
12. And lastly, to round out a thrilling B Large slate, fourth-seeded Lawrence Academy completed a comeback of its own to defeat fifth-seeded Governor's. The Spartans trailed 40-33 in the second half before snowballing with a 17-0 run in an eventual 54-44 win. I'm super impressed by the poise of the young leaders on this roster — namely 2028 point guard Kiera Paradis (Goffstown, N.H.), 2029 guard Alana Brownstein and 2028 center Jhene Fortunat (West Boylston, Mass.). All three came up with big plays during the second half.
Class B Small
13. This was a chalk quarterfinal in B Small, but it didn't come easy for the two teams I'd consider favorites.
No. 3 Hamden Hall was tied with No. 6 Cushing at 46-all before the Hornets closed on a 14-3 run to win, 60-49. Tessa Porch (20 points), Maddie Benigni (18 points) and Andrea Crump (15 points) combined to score 53 of 60 points in the victory.
Meanwhile, top-seeded Kimball Union opened with 12 straight points but fought off several Holderness challenges, including a run that cut the gap to 38-33 in the second half of an eventual 65-53 win. Nyasia Caban (Lawrence, Mass.) hit big 3s down the stretch and Jordynn Elijah continues to intrigue me as a two-way impact 2028 wing. I do want to give credit to Holderness guard Ali Campbell (Brentwood, N.H.). I saw her make at least four 3s when I was tuned into this game and she helped keep Holderness hanging around.
14. If there's one NEPSAC team left standing I fear I've underappreciated the most, it's Kingswood Oxford. They dominated the 4-vs.-5 matchup, beating a good Mount St. Charles team 75-49. I missed a competitive first half, and then the Wyverns steamrolled in the second half. This team is pretty balanced and loaded with shooting (40 percent behind the 3-point line in the victory). I will have to watch and learn more because Kingswood Oxford keeps looking dangerous.
