DEDHAM, Mass. – Worcester Academy scored the first basket of the game – a triple from Maddie Keough – but Darrow School went on a 14-0 run immediately after that, and never looked back to secure the program’s first Class AA championship win, 55-40, at Noble and Greenough on Sunday.
Darrow is only in its second Class AA season – jumping up from Class D following the 2023-24 season – but head coach Abby Streeter, who is in her second year coaching the Ducks, had high expectations as soon as she took on the coaching job.
“When I got the job here, I told my head of school and my athletic director, I’m not doing a rebuilding stage. I like to win. I’ll be miserable if I lose,” Streeter said. “They supported me, allowed me to bring the right players in to be able to win. I’m super grateful for that, because without their support, I wouldn’t have been able to do this.”
MORE GIRLS CHAMPIONS: Class AAA — Hoosac beats New Hampton | Class A — Sacred Heart beats Loomis Chaffee | Class B Large — Berkshire beats Lawrence Academy | Class B Small — Hamden Hall beats Kimball Union
Three of Darrow’s starters – Dior Dobere, Taelor Arnold and Brooke Lilley – are three small guards who all transferred into the program this season. Each scored double-digit points in the championship win. Dobere led the charge with 13, and Arnold and Lilley scored 11 apiece.
Arnold opened the scoring for Darrow with a triple to knot things up, and Dobere followed up with a couple of steals and a pair of fast breaks. The sophomore also dished out the ball well to extend the Ducks’ lead.
“I feel excited that all of our hard work and accomplishments came true,” Dobere said. “We work for this. We prepared every single day – individual workouts, morning practices. We deserve it, and I’m proud of my teammates.”
Ella Getz scored 13 points to lead Worcester Academy, but the Hilltoppers were down their best player, Gracyn Barnes, who started but missed most of the game with a persistent leg injury.
Worcester Academy was down by as much as 15 points – Darrow led 31-16 at the half – but came as close as six points in the third quarter, and entered the fourth quarter with Darrow leading, 40-34.
“Our third quarter has been our hardest quarter this entire season, so I’m not really surprised by it, if I’m being honest, but I knew we would get ourselves out of it,” Streeter said. “Once we see the ball go in the hoop and we get a couple stops, we’re right back where we left off.”
Darrow outlasted the brief storm with the knowledge that it had beaten Worcester twice during the regular season – by 31 and 32 points – plus the chip on its shoulder from last season’s championship loss.
“Everybody’s playing because it’s their last game,” Streeter said. “Everybody comes with a different level of focus, a different level of self-motivation, and overall just intensity and understanding that this is a big, big game.”
On the court, the Ducks had a disadvantage in height playing with three small guards against a forward-heavy Worcester Academy squad, but Dobere said that motivates her and her teammates – and that ultimately helped them win their team a Class AA championship.
“My coach tells me every day,” Dobere said. “If you can’t beat them in size, beat them with heart.”
