LOWELL, Mass. — Cathedral coach Clinton Lassiter could tell his star senior, Hijjah Allen-Paisley, was battling the emotions ahead of her final high school game.
By the time she suited up, Allen-Paisley had it all figured out.
The 5-foot-4 guard scored a team-high 20 points during Sunday's Division 4 final against South Hadley, leading the Panthers to a 68-37 victory and championship three-peat. Up through the final buzzer, Allen-Paisley could be seen smiling, be it after a made basket, an assist, or even laughing off her own shot getting blocked.
"I feel confident because we've been here three times already," Allen-Paisley said. "I just feel confident in myself. No matter what happens, just go out there and give it my all, because it's my last year to do so."
CHAMPIONS CROWNED: Division 1: Wachusett | Division 2: Medfield | Division 3: St. Mary’s | Division 5: Hoosac Valley
The top-seeded Panthers (19-5) made quick work of their championship rematch with third-seeded South Hadley (22-3). They jumped out to a 30-17 halftime lead behind 13 points from Allen-Paisley. Lassiter did not want to underestimate this year's Tigers after they had put Cathedral down double digits early in the 2024 matchup, forcing a big rally to win. Late in the fourth quarter, with Cathedral up by more than 20, Lassiter still shouted at his players to stay focused after they missed consecutive easy layups.
"I watched so many of their games because the coach (Paul Dubuc) does a great job of switching defenses," he said. "The girls, they execute very well, and they stay together."
Tamia Darling joined Allen-Paisley as a leading contributor, collecting 16 points. The junior wing asserted herself as a leader for the next wave of Panthers with her relentless rebounding effort and athletic paint finishes.
"I know I'm strong and I know that I can get to the basket, so really, I feel like there's no one stopping me from doing that," Darling said.
South Hadley sophomore Cara Dean scored a game-high 21 points and classmate Kate Phillips followed her with 10 points.
With the trophy, Lassiter now owns the state's all-time coaching record with seven state titles. He stayed to see if Malden Catholic boys John Walsh would match his total; the Lancers fell to Somerset-Berkley. Three of those titles have come with the Panthers' seven-senior core in charge.
"Four years ago, I called us the daycare center, because we had all babies, all freshmen — like seven, eight freshmen then," Lassiter said. "So I called it the daycare center, and now they've grown up."
Leading that core is Allen-Paisley, who has been in the program since seventh grade. Lassiter calls her practically a daughter, and Allen-Paisley says he's like a second dad.
It's second-nature for the rest of the Panthers to use her calm demeanor to steady themselves. When Allen Paisley points a finger in the air, her teammates will find her – like when point guard Keyona Raines whipped a cross-court pass through traffic in transition to reach Allen-Paisley, who drilled a step-back 3-pointer.
Allen-Paisley has been forced to grow up on and off the court. She has shared previously some of the personal hardship she has experienced during her young life, including a period during the pandemic when her family experienced homelessness.
When the buzzer sounded, Allen-Paisley finally let the happy tears fall.
"It definitely means a lot to me because I could have gave up," she said. "I could have quit, but I pushed through, and I really just built a legacy at Cathedral."
