TILTON, N.H. — Two years ago, Tilton was on top of New England girls basketball as the first Class AAA champion. Last year, they graced our fall magazine cover as our preseason No. 1 team and battled with Hoosac and Tabor for that label all winter.
But the Rams got upended in shocking fashion in the AAA semis, losing 68-63 in overtime, at home, against New Hampton. It was a sudden end to the high school careers of starters Bela Cucuta (now at George Washington), Brooke Golden (Northwestern) and Maddie McCaffery (St. Anselm).
This year, in a wide open AAA field, Tilton is still a title threat. But the path to winning it all looks different than in past seasons.
Can the Rams reclaim their throne? Here's our team preview.
MORE TEAM PREVIEWS: Newman | Hoosac | Tabor | New Hampton
State of the program
Tilton has risen up the ranks in NEPSAC girls basketball to become one of its most prominent programs, particularly since the pandemic. In 2025, the Rams triumphed in the first NEPSAC girls Class AAA title matchup, using a Brooke Golden hook shot with one second remaining to topple Nobles.
The Rams have also won three consecutive national prep championships, which includes a bracket partially made of NEPSAC teams as well as more prep schools in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions.
The coach
We've labeled Tara Brisson as one of the best coaches in NEPSAC girls basketball history. Since she arrived at Tilton in 2009, Brisson has built the Rams from a Class C champion, to a four-time Class B champion, to a Class A champion, to, finally, the first-ever Class AAA champion.
In recent seasons, Brisson has guided older teams with obvious championship expectations. Though Tilton is still a title contender, this year's roster is much younger and less experienced in the program. That presents an exciting new challenge for the longtime head coach.
"Sometimes, the years where you have these preconceived expectations for your team based on what you know — you become boxed in a little bit, or you become complacent," she said. "And for me, I find fun in the challenge, which you know, and I find fun in the process."
The star players
The superstar: Bella Owumi, the best senior prospect in New England. Owumi (Lynn, Mass.), arrived at Tilton last year already a decorated MIAA champion and nationally-ranked prospect. Though she needed time to mesh with the Rams, Owumi wound up on our All-Class AAA First Team as a true junior after averaging 15.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.4 steals per game.
The explosive 6-foot wing, now No. 29 in ESPN's 2027 rankings, has her college commitment (to Florida) behind her and enters senior year more relaxed and confident than ever.
"I think her comfort level here is completely different than it was last year, and there's a part of her that believes this is her team," Brisson said. "Same as with Kam (Derba). To only be here two years, they're very much bought-in to what we do and believe in what we do, and you can just totally see a step up in terms of leadership."
FEATURE:Â Owumi has been a top prospect since she was 12. What's that like?
Flanking Owumi is towering, lanky center Ava Bryant, our fourth-ranked prospect in the region and the highest-ranked uncommitted senior on the board. Bryant will ascend to the starting center role previously occupied by Brooke Golden.
"We know how athletic she is. Her ability to block shots is unmatched. What we're continuing to work on is her getting stronger," Brisson said. "She has great size, but you can't let somebody push you off the block. And then we continue to do her individual workouts that are mostly her offensive skill set: catch, finish, pivot."
The under-the-radar player
When I watched the Rams' open gym on Oct. 12, Giuliana Shepard (Easton, Mass.) was heating up behind the arc and taking defenders off the dribble with a tight handle. The 2029 guard played limited minutes as a freshman but could be an important option on offense in her second year.
"She is similar to when Maddie (McCaffery) came in. She was young, it took her a minute to realize what we already knew: she's an incredible shooter, and it's going to be really hard to guard you if you get open, and we can get you open in space because you're going to knock down a large majority of those shots. So we know that's going to happen. That's a given," Brisson said. "What I want to see from her is the other side of the ball — her ability to defend, her ability to to be an off-the-ball defender, get rebounds — (and) create other things, because I do think she's a good decision-maker too."
The newcomers
Celia Neilson (Georgetown, Mass.) drew a charge during the open gym I attended, and that should tell you plenty about how she'll impact this program.
The Wright State commit joins Tilton for a postgrad year after helping Bishop Fenwick win the MIAA Division 3 title last season. Neilson is a stone-faced, tough competitor as a 6-foot guard who can facilitate and overpower opponents off the dribble.
"She's gonna be, probably, one of my favorite kids I've coached," Brisson said. "She just embodies all of the things that are important to me. She's not selfish. She's tough, she can score at all three levels, she's a good decision-maker, doesn't turn it over, defends like a monster — just all of (it)."
Also coming from the MIAA, Avery Terry (Acton, Mass.) is the next Ram with sky-high athletic potential who Brisson will endeavor to mold. The younger sister of BU freshman Jaxson Terry, Avery Terry brings versatility as a 6-foot wing who can handle the ball, shoot the spot-up 3 and make a defensive impact with her length. She has a couple of Division 1 offers already from UMass and Providence and appears on our 2029 watch list.
Brisson wants Terry to follow Owumi closely since they're both versatile wings in their own ways, and she wants to see Terry continue to unlock her strength and movement skills. But she's enamored by how Terry has come in ready to compete.
"She's like your favorite type of player, because she becomes a little bit of a utility," Brisson said. "She's a true sophomore. She's 15 years old. She's already that big and strong to be able to defend. She is a three-level scorer already for her age, which is also something that's really hard to teach. And she's competitive. She wants to win. She wants to be out here. She's in the gym in the mornings with Giuliana all the time."
Also keep an eye on Abiba Van Vliet, a 2027 wing from France, who can shoot the ball and showed a willingness to drive and defend larger opponents.
Our expectations
As mentioned, this Tilton roster is younger and less experienced in NEPSAC than some of the recent iterations. But they still have leadership with players like Owumi and sharpshooting guard Kam Derba (Easton, Mass.), who recently committed to Palm Beach Atlantic. Lily Norton (Marblehead, Mass.) is also critical as one of the squad's most dependable point guards.
Owumi's presence alone gives the Rams a high floor. They'll assuredly be a top NEPSAC defense with Brisson coaching, plus the trio of Owumi, Bryant and Neilson leading lockdown efforts. What does the offense look like, particularly in the backcourt, headlined by Neilson, Norton, Derba and Shepard? Is Bryant ready to be a reliable inside scorer? And how quickly does Terry stand out?
Tilton is similar to Tabor and Hoosac; those teams also have singular stars surrounded by a bunch of interesting pieces that must learn how to fit together. The Rams might need time and won't be close to their best in December. I'm super intrigued by what this squad could look like in February and March.
