Last winter, Class B was the most chaotic of the NEPSAC girls playoffs, from the seeding race during the regular season to the postseason results.
After splitting the class into B Large and B Small, things were supposed to feel more predictable. But the championship mix still feels totally wide open.
Expected contenders like Suffield and Berkshire remain in the mix. St. George's has broken out in a massive way, and others like Brooks and Lawrence Academy ended the regular season soaring. An added wrinkle: two teams have only played one other Class B playoff opponent. There's still a great unknown in how these programs match up.
Here's a rundown of each playoff team in the bracket.
MORE BRACKET BREAKDOWNS:Â Class AAAÂ |Â Class AAÂ |Â Class AÂ |Â Class B Small
Podcast: Breaking down the girls' brackets
1. St. George's (17-3)
Record against Class B Large field:Â 4-0
The Dragons are two years removed from a Class B title and have their third head coach in three seasons. Under Maddie Bledsoe, they've soared, boasting a perfect record against Class B Large/Small opponents and only losing to AAA Tabor, AAA Nobles and Class A Milton Academy. Point guard Gianna Nichols (Sturbridge, Mass.) has been one of the more unstoppable off-dribble scorers in all of NEPSAC this season, and she's flanked by a group of wings who can all shoot and rebound with effort. Don't underestimate Payton Scurry (Warwick, R.I.) and her defensive impact, either.
BRACKET TRACKERS:Â Class AAAÂ |Â Class AAÂ |Â Class AÂ |Â Class B Large, B Small, C
2. Suffield (19-2)
Record against Class B Large field: 1-0
The longest-lasting unbeaten team in NEPSAC, Suffield won its first 16 games before losing to Loomis Chaffee and is similarly perfect against Class B Large/Small competition. The Tigers rely heavily on one of the region's premier junior trios: Alannah Baehr (Colchester, Conn.), Sammi Santacroce (North Haven, Conn.) and Charlotte Theriault (Palmer, Mass.). All three are Division 1-caliber college prospects capable of going off in a given game. Last year, Suffield was on the wrong end of a 1-vs.-8 quarterfinal upset against St. George's. The Tigers will surely be out for revenge.
3. Brooks (17-6)
Record against Class B Large field:Â 2-2
Brooks enters the playoffs buzzing with 11 straight wins. Including its statement overtime triumph against Hamden Hall at the Nickerson Showcase, Brooks has won 14 of its last 16 contests (with those two defeats to AAA programs). Smith commit Summer Warren (Canton, Mass.) and Trinity commit Jules Giordano (Reading, Mass.) are a reliable senior duo leading the way. Brooks' defense, during the current win streak, has held nine of 10 opponents under 50 points.
4. Lawrence Academy (17-7)
Record against Class B Large field:Â 3-1
The Spartans have somewhat quietly risen up the class standings in the second half of the winter. They ended the regular season on a 10-1 heater that included notable victories against AA Worcester Academy, Class A Milton Academy and Class A Thayer. On the season (entering their regular season finale), Lawrence Academy had held opponents to under 50 points per game on average and approximately 31 percent shooting from the field. On the flip side, the Spartans have a pretty balanced offense, but I've specifically appreciated 2028 point guard Kiera Paradis (Goffstown, N.H.) when I've watched.
5. Governor's (11-10)
Record against Class B Large field:Â 2-3
Gov's started the season on fire with eight straight victories. But it's been a rough fall to earth lately as they've endured a 1-9 stretch in their last 10 games that included many of the tougher opponents on their schedule. This is another team with a lot of solid guard play and a lot of perimeter shooting. I'd specifically highlight Jali Eason, one of the more underrated freshmen in the region, as a primary playmaker who can beat defenders off the dribble.
6. Proctor (12-9)
Record against Class B Large field:Â 1-3
It's impressive that Proctor snuck into this playoff bracket; they weren't a projected playoff team in any of the NEPSGBCA standings updates this winter and were even ranked 11th in the standings as of the last Feb. 17 check-in. But Proctor's strength of schedule went up in the final weeks to help turn the tide. On the season, the Hornets have a B Large victory against Brooks and some wins against B Small playoff teams as their most impressive results. Seniors Mia Canales and Sierra Jean (Methuen, Mass.) headline the leaders.
7. Berkshire (19-6)
Record against Class B Large field:Â 1-3
The Bears' road to the playoffs hasn't been quite as smooth as I projected by making them my preseason title pick. They had two meltdown losses at the Nickerson Showcase and hit another rut in late January with losses to Suffield and Greens Farms. But things seem to be back on course; the Bears started February with six straight victories. They spread the scoring around, but Hamilton commit Chloe Egan (Cotuit, Mass.) and 6-foot-4 mobile center Pearl Dickson still set the tone. I've also liked what I've seen from Lana Orietas, a 2028 strong wing who excels behind the arc.
8. St. Luke's (15-9)
Record against Class B Large field:Â 0-1
The Storm lost Tufts commit Grace Kearney (Monroe, Conn.) to injury, which hampered their season early. They've played one of the toughest schedules in the class, and that hurt them recently with a 1-4 stretch in early February. But that was a similar storyline for St. Luke's last year, when the team was a No. 5 seed and ended up in the Class B final. Like last year, they have a dynamic scoring guard capable of taking over — this time it's 2027 transfer Kendra Foy (Bethel, Conn.). The Storm have momentum behind them after beating Class A frontrunner Sacred Heart in the FAA championship game, so they've got upset potential.
