LEE — It was like playing a mirror.

"I mean, I'm used to them. I know what they've run, obviously. I've been putting a lot of that into my girls," said Lee High girls basketball coach Lexi Mercier after a 55-50 victory over Hoosac Valley. "It's special for me, special for my team. They wanted to come out here and perform. They knew, they wanted me to know I'm coaching a great group now."

Mercier and the Wildcats picked up a signature win Wednesday night at home, and it came against a program all too familiar to the first-year coach. Mercier was a 1,000-point scorer for the dynastic Hurricanes, who are still now coming off back-to-back MIAA Division V State Championships.

Mercier won a state title with Hoosac in 2019, and much of what she used to run in Cheshire, she's installed at Lee. Which led to a bit of a nail biter that was as chaotic as it was thrilling. Only adding to the reflection point was Hoosac winning the teams' first matchup at home by a nearly identical reverse score of 54-50.

On Wednesday, Hoosac led by one after one quarter and by one again at halftime. The two sides played a dead-even fourth quarter as well. So, it was the third that was the difference and with big names banging bodies all over the court, Lee (14-3) found its X-factor in freshman Ella Simone.

Simone scored 12 of her 16 points in that third quarter, including three 3-pointers. That turned Lee's 22-21 deficit into a 41-36 lead entering the final frame.

"[Giving] my freshman Ella the ball tonight," said Mercier. "Game of her life. Played absolutely incredible, so well tonight."

Hoosac actually went up 25-21 on a Reagan Shea triple to start the third, but Simone answered with a trey of her own instantly. She made it back-to-back bombs on the next possession when Lee had an inbounds under the hoop and senior Jenna Simone hit her younger sister on the numbers for a corner 3 that put the Wildcats in front for the first time on the night.

It was short-lived at first. Genevieve Lagess tied it back up at the rim for Hoosac, and then Bella Klose connected on a 3-ball for the visitors. The Hurricanes, however, were playing a dangerous game.

With Lee in all-out attack mode all night, a young and thin Hoosac side got in trouble. Starting point guard Giana Witek picked up her fourth foul with 5:30 left in the third. Then, Shea, who had 16 points in the game, picked up her fourth when Lee's Ava Lucy drew a charge. Off that turnover, Simone struck her third 3-pointer to draw the Wildcats within 34-33. 

Shea subbed out, and down its best ball-handler, Hoosac turned it over. Senior Tamia Andrade scored the go-ahead bucket on a layup and Hoosac's struggles were just beginning. Hoosac proceeded to miss 10 straight free throws, while Lucy converted an and-1 and Simone hit another jumper. A steal-and-score by Tessa Snyder at the end of the quarter salvaged some momentum for the Hurricanes, but the die was likely cast.

Payton Simmons and Lucy scored on putbacks to start the fourth and the lead ballooned to 45-36 as an overflowing student section pushed toward pandemonium.

"Our seniors tonight, we're starting to gel really well," said Mercier. "The energy in this gym tonight, they fed off that momentum."

Shea got back on the court with 6:26 left, down nine and orchestrated a comeback bid. The junior wing hit a 3-pointer and then after Lagess drew a charge, Shea drove and kicked to Izzy Tart for a jumper that made it just 46-42.

But Lee got the ball to Mika Diller in the corner on the ensuring possession and she canned a 3-pointer that pushed the hometown crowd over the edge. 

Ultimately, the foul game only worked in the Wildcats' favor. Carlino was 4 for 6 in the fourth and finished with 16 points, while Simone sank both freebies with 10 seconds left after fouling out Shea. Those iced the game up 55-48, and Lee won its sixth straight game.

Hoosac was just 5 of 24 from the line, while Lee was 15 of 29. The Wildcats entered the night as the No. 5 team in the MIAA Division V State Tournament Power Rankings, while the defending champion Hurricanes were No. 7.

Lee celebrated seniors Simmons, Andrade, Jenna Simone and Kenzie Garrity Wednesday, but will wrap its regular season at home Friday against Monson. It was the fourth-straight loss for the 5-12 Hurricanes, who will look to avenge one of those defeats Thursday night at home against Lenox.

———

Hoosac 11 11 14 14 — 50

Lee 10 11 20 14 — 55

HOOSAC VALLEY (50)

Klose 1-0-3, Lagess 5-1-11, Jagiello 1-0-2, Crane 1-0-2, Moran 1-0-2, Shea 5-3-16, Tart 6-1-13. Totals 19-5-50.

LEE (55)

Simmons 1-1-3, J. Simone 0-1-1, Andrade 2-0-4, Lucy 2-1-5, Carlino 4-8-16, E. Simone 5-3-16, Diller 4-1-10. Totals 18-15-55.

3-pointers — L 4 (E. Simone 3, Diller); HV 5 (Shea 3, Klose, Jagiello).