The Proctor Varsity Girls' Basketball team traveled to Noble and Greenough School to take on a talented Hamden Hall team. After a close game
through the first half, the girls were able to pull away in the final five
minutes to win 58-48. The win capped an impressive 20-1 season and the first
Class C Championship in Girls' Basketball history for Proctor Academy!
Proctor relied on a stifling three-quarter court 1-2-2- press that gave
Hamden Hall fits, forcing the number one seed into turnover after turnover.
Senior Joanna de Pena led the Hornet's stingy defense and relentless fast break
as her hustle and active hands at the point of the zone did not let Hamden Hall
take a possession off.
Senior Kaitlin Fifield led the Hornets offensively on the day and set the
tone from the very start of the game. Her aggressiveness to the hoop and ability
to share the ball with Angelica and Steph Pascual and Patty Dansereau on the
fastbreak allowed the Hornets to score easy baskets throughout the game. The
intensity in all of the Proctor players was obvious from the get go, and while
both teams had some early championship game jitters to work out, by the end of
the first half, Proctor had effectively set the pace of the game and had all the
momentum going into halftime after a big defensive stop on the Hamden Hall's
last possession.
While the Hamden Hall team made a number of runs in the second half, cutting
the Proctor lead to one with under seven minutes to go, senior Kate Minister hit
a dagger of a three pointer with just over three minutes left that took the wind
out of Hamden Hall's sails for good. Every time the Hornets were in need of
rebound, steal, or basket, one of the team's eight players came up big.
Sophomore Eliza Perry's role on team has gradually grown over the course of
the year and when senior Patty Dansereau got into foul trouble early in the
second half, Eliza stepped up to the challenge. Diving on the floor for loose
balls, snagging every defensive rebound that came the Hornet's way, and
assisting on key basket after key basket, Eliza had by far her best game of the
season when it mattered most! Juniors Stephanie and Angelica Pascual had
excellent games and were integral parts of the team's success this season.
Sophomore Kayla Dansereau was also a consistent contributor and will be a key
asset for the team next season. While Proctor's four seniors have been the heart
and soul of the program for the past two seasons, the underclassmen demonstrated
to all watching on Sunday that the future of Proctor girls' basketball is
bright!
