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Hornets run out of magic in OT

Tuesday, March, 11 By Nick Curcuru
Correspondent

Over the past few weeks, drama and the Manchester Essex girls basketball team have become synonymous. So it was fitting that yesterday's Division 4 state title game would be no different.

Regulation was not enough time to settle the score between the North champion Hornets and South champ Cohasset at Boston's TD Banknorth Garden.

Down by two points in the final stages of regulation, Hornets senior captain Dani Ciccone hit a layup in the post off a beautiful entry pass from freshman point guard Lizzy Ball with 6.7 seconds left to send the game into overtime.

But the Hornets didn't have any magic left for the extra frame, as Cohasset took control in the four-minute OT to grind out a 44-36 victory. With the win the Skippers (23-2) won their 21st straight game and were crowned Division 4 state champs.

"I knew this was going to be a really tough ball game," Cohasset head coach John LeVangie said. "The difference was just one or two turnovers, it was pretty even."

Hornets head coach Lauren Dubois was obviously disappointed in the loss, but quick to compliment both teams.

"The girls came out and put in a great effort," Dubois said. "This was a matchup of two very good, similar teams, and they were able to make the baskets in the end."

Skippers center Sammi Lehr was elated in victory, and quick to credit the Hornets for their gritty play.

"This was the toughest game I have ever played in," said the 6-foot-1 Lehr, who had 13 points and 10 rebounds. "Being at the Garden and playing against another awesome team that we didn't know much about is very difficult. I give Manchester a lot of credit, they were a very tough team."

The Hornets took an early lead in overtime thanks to an Elsa Keefe free throw. Lehr, however, would answer right back on the ensuing possession scoring in the low post. Cohasset was nursing a 37-34 lead with 1:40 to go when Hornets forward Jen Bishop cut the lead to one on a jump shot.

But that is as close as the Hornets got, as the Skippers would score the final seven points of the game. Sophomore forward Meredith Kelly (12 points) would hit a layup with just under a minute to go to make it 39-36. After a Hornets miss, Tori Lehr would deliver the back-breaker in the form of a low post bucket with 26 seconds to play.

LeVangie pointed out that the difference in overtime was his team's ability to work inside.

"We were able to work inside more effectively in overtime," LeVangie said. "Sammi (Lehr) and Meredith Kelly came up with some big shots."

Both teams came into the game sporting a tough defense. The Hornets used an aggressive style that led to 15 steals and created 22 turnovers. The Skippers, on the other hand, relied on defensive positioning and forced the Hornets to shoot just 21 percent from the field (14-66).

"We had a bad shooting week," Dubois said, referring also to her team's shooting struggles against Mt. Alvernia in the North final. "We just kept pushing. We had great low post defense, Dani (Ciccone), and Elsa (Keefe) did an exceptional job slowing down their inside game."

LeVangie was also quick to credit both defenses.

"The low score was due to both teams playing hard-nosed defense," LeVangie said. "There wasn't an easy basket to get."

Probably due to the big-game jitters that come with playing in the Garden, Manchester Essex struggled out of the gate. The Hornets fell behind 8-1 early on. However, they were able to claw their way back into the game, finishing the quarter on a 6-3 run and cutting the Skippers lead to 11-7.

Manchester's defense dominated the second quarter, allowing the Skippers to score just four points. The Hornets' offense got back into rhythm in the second and took a 16-15 lead into the half on Jordan Biggar's buzzer-beating runner. The junior forward missed her initial attempt, but she followed her shot and was able to sink the second attempt of the glass from inside the lane.

The second half was back and forth the entire way. The Hornets were able to get the two biggest leads in the second half at 22-17 and 26-22 in the third and fourth quarters. In the final five minutes of the game there were three ties and three lead-changes.

Ball led all scorers with 15 points, while Bishop added a nice contribution from the bench with eight points six rebounds.

Despite the loss, the future looks bright for the Hornets. They only graduate three seniors, and they have key returners Ball, Biggar, Keefe, Bishop and Sam Christopher coming back. Point guard Lee Stroman will also be back next season, after the junior missed the second half of this season with an injury.

All in all, Dubois still views this season with a positive outlook.

"We wanted this so bad and we came so close," Dubois said. "We want to remember the season as a whole, not just the loss at the end. This team has put in a lot of hard work and great basketball to get here."

Additional stories:

• Dubois a determined leader for Manchester Essex
• North champs met their match against similar Skippers