It’s Friday, and we had an exciting opening week to the basketball season! I checked out Dexter Southfield vs. Worcester Academy on Wednesday afternoon, which was a really competitive and fun matchup. (https://herhoopsnetwork.com/2023/11/30/hertal-kombat-dexter-vs-worcester-academy/ )There were also a few other games around the NEPSAC that I followed as well. Below are some scores and quick takeaways.
St. Andrew’s vs. Rivers
| Final | |
| St Andrew’s (A) | 47 |
| Rivers (H) | 63 |
| Stats: Rivers (Per Rivers Athletics “X” Account). Grace O’Sulivan (‘25) 21p, 8r, 3a, 1s, 1b Natalia Hall-Rosa (‘25) 16p, 2 r, 6a, 1s Payton Richard (‘24) 12p, 6r, 4a,1s, 3b Chase Anderson (‘25) 12p, 6r, 2s, 2b Katie Reale (‘26) 2p, 1r, 1a Rissi Smith (‘25) 1r, 7a, 1s | Stats: St Andrew’s (Per St Andrew’s Athletics “X”Account) Isabella Jickling (‘25) 14p, 8r Maysen Hill (‘25) 7p, 3a, 3r Ryanne Sheehan (‘27) 9p |
There might be a new dynamic 1-2 punch in town. Rivers’ forwards Natalia Hall-Rosa (’25) and Grace O’Sullivan kicked off their season in dominating fashion, combining for 37 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals in their win against St. Andrew’s. I’ve said multiple times before the season that both junior forwards would be challenging to defend, and they are off to a fast start.
Watch out for Rivers’ center, Chase Anderson. Over the fall, she popped on my radar and contributed to Rivers’ win with a productive day. She finished with 12 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks.
One of St. Andrew’s takeaways from Wednesday’s game is 6-foot wing Isabella Jickling (’25). I haven’t seen her play in person, but I have seen the film, and she is an efficient shooter off the catch and dribble. She looks like a matchup problem for many opposing wings because of her scoring ability and assertiveness on the offensive end. She posted a near double-double of 14 points and 8 rebounds against Rivers.
Nobles vs. Marianapolis Prep
| Final | |
| Marianapolis Prep (A) | 28 |
| Noble & Greenough (H) | 79 |
Nobles showed why they are considered the best team in the region . I watched some of their win against Marianapolis on film, and they were extremely dialed in as a unit in every phase of the game. On Offense, defense, transition, etc., Nobles was executing at an elite level.
In a league where it seems like the young talent is blossoming rapidly, Nobles introduced us to Aliyah Allston on Wednesday evening. She is an 8th grader who projects to be one of the best in her class and will have the opportunity to contribute nightly.
During the game, Marianapolis guard and Eastern Illinois commit Alanna Phillipo eclipsed the 1000-point plateau. She finished with 17 points. That should be a number Phillipo hits often this season. She is the team’s primary playmaker, and her game has expanded offensively, so we should see a few more big scoring outputs this season from her.
Greens Farms Academy vs. Miss Porter’s
| Final | |
| Greens Farms Academy (A) | 70 |
| Miss Porter’s (H) | 55 |
Greens Farms Academy went on the road and won their home opener against Miss Porter’s. GFA is a team to keep an eye on this winter. They have one of the more promising freshmen forwards in LaLa Goode, along with athletic and versatile guard/wing play. Their next two games are against Suffield Academy and Greenwich Country Day, which are both intriguing and competitve machups.
