Hoosac Valley vs. Renaissance D-V girls basketball state championship

 

LOWELL ― It had been over a year since the tightly contested matchup between the Hoosac Valley girls basketball team and Renaissance in the MIAA Div. V semifinals, with the Hurricanes advancing and eventually winning their first state title since 2020.

 

But as the two teams took to the court on Sunday afternoon, the Tsonga’s Center’s icy atmosphere quickly rose as the budding rivalry between the two Western Mass. powerhouses filled the arena with tension and anxiety.

 

By the end of the first quarter, three technical fouls had been handed out, resulting in the ejection of one player, foreshadowing the events to come.

 

But when the final buzzer rang, No. 2 Hoosac Valley girls basketball (23-3) walked away with the win and the championship, 64-57, clinching its fourth state title in program history.

 

“It probably hasn’t sunk in yet, but it’s freaking awesome,” said Hoosac Valley girls basketball coach Jon Frederick after the game, drenched in sweat and brimming with joy.

 

“This is great. How many teams can (win back-to-back state titles) and again, it’s something that we always talk about, especially during playoff time.”

 

Both teams struggled under the physical pressure of the opposition’s defense early on and leaked turnovers throughout the opening period.

 

But as the opening quarter wore on, the Hurricanes' offense dried up, and seemingly on cue, Renaissance’s offense began to flow. The Phoenix aggressively pushed the ball up the court to beat the Hurricanes' press with great effect.

 

Renaissance extended its lead to double digits on the back of a 13-0 run, capped off by a three-point shot from Zi’Yan Wallace.

 

The game’s physicality started to take its toll by the end of the first quarter. Zh’Nai Wallace and Ashlyn Lesure were each handed a technical foul late and a minute later, Zh’Nai Wallace was called for a second technical, resulting in the first ejection of the game.

 

The Phoenix maintained their double-digit lead through the second quarter, with Zi’Yan Wallace dominating play on both ends of the court. But just as the first half came to a close, Zi’Yan Wallace picked up her third personal foul, a costly mistake from the eighth-grader heading into halftime with a 13-point lead.

 

The fouls rapidly racked up in the second half for Renaissance, with Sy’Nye Baker collecting her third and fourth fouls within the first two minutes of the third.

 

With Baker forced to the bench, the Hurricanes seemed poised for a comeback and the response was instantaneous. Hoosac Valley quickly chipped away, forcing turnovers and barely a minute later, Genevieve Lagess cut the lead to nine on a layup. Zi’Yan Wallace soon restored the Phoenix’s double-digit advantage, but momentum was on the reigning champions' side.

 

With 4:49 left to play in the third, the game’s physicality reached its boiling point. Lagess was fouled on a fast break and chaos ensued, as players from both teams rushed toward the growing cluster of bodies on the court.

 

The officials and the referees eventually got both teams to return to their benches and after a lengthy period of deliberation, the Phoenix were issued with three ejections, including Sy’Nye Baker. Emma Meczywor picked up a technical foul for Hoosac Valley, who was awarded four free throws. Mecyzwor knocked down three of them.

 

As play resumed, the Hurricanes' momentum had not disappeared - instead, it grew stronger. Hoosac Valley took advantage and by the end of the third, the Hurricanes trailed by just four.

 

The Phoenix battled valiantly in the fourth quarter, but the loss of Baker was felt on the defensive end and with Wallace being careful not to foul out, the Hurricanes’ offense continued pushing.

 

J’Dore Reese kept the Phoenix alive in the fourth, scoring eight of her 13 points in the final quarter. But the Hurricanes had a response for every Renaissance bucket and with 4:31 left to go in the game, Wallace was called for her fifth foul after diving for a loose ball and colliding with a Hoosac Valley player.

 

Without their primary rim-protector, the Phoenix’s defense stood no chance against the Hurricanes. With Lesure operating on the perimeter, the Hurricanes diced up the opposition for easy buckets inside and dominated the glass on both ends of the court.

 

The Hurricanes tied the game with two minutes left on a layup from Sophia Wilson, who had five points in the final quarter.

 

After getting a stop on the other end, Meczywor corralled the rebound and ran the ball the full length of the court, driving to the hoop in semi-transition and scoring the layup through contact to take the lead - the Hurricanes' first lead since the opening quarter.

 

Renaissance had chances to tie the game in the final minute, but the Hurricanes survived and knocked down their free throws to close the game.

 

Lesure finished with a team-high 18 points, with Shea and Meczywor following in support with 15 and 11 points respectively. Meczywor and Shea had seven points each in the fourth, providing key buckets alongside Wilson to supplement the Hurricanes' comeback.

 

“We went into the locker room knowing this game isn’t over,” Lesure said. “(In) the beginning, our shots weren’t falling. (We told ourselves) they’re going to fall in the second half and that’s what we were hoping for.”

 

With so much emotion pouring out from everyone on and off the court throughout the game, maintaining composure was far easier said than done. The Hurricanes regained theirs and it proved to be the winning difference.

 

“I was just telling everybody that we have each other’s backs,” Lesure said. “No matter what happens, we have to keep our heads straight and we got to win - this is our game now.”

 

Lesure will graduate in the spring as one of the most decorated players in program history, with four Western Mass. titles and over 1,000 career points to her name. Meczywor and Maryn Cappiello also graduate in the spring alongside Lesure.