The #3 Windsor High girls basketball team faced off against #7 Peoples Academy in the semi-final round, with Peoples coming off an upset against Bellows Free Academy in the quarterfinals.
Olivia Rockwood started the game out on a tear, as she poured in ten points in what was otherwise a sloppy first quarter. Windsor had four early turnovers and Peoples Academy was making a living at the foul-line. An early press from the Yellowjackets was ineffective as Peoples was slowing the game down and working the ball into senior forward Beronica Tatro-Germain almost every trip down. After one, Windsor was ahead 12-10.
For Windsor, Rockwood continued her hot streak with 13 more points in the second frame and the press started to disrupt Peoples’ pace. This helped the Yellowjackets gain some separation. Windsor junior Brooke McKeen had two big blocks and freshman Ashley Grela had big baskets in the paint. At the half, Windsor was on top 31-21.
The Yellowjackets did not press for the opening minutes of the second half, and Peoples went on a quick 4-0 run, which led to Windsor tuning up the press again. After a three-pointer from Evelyn Page and a basket by Adi Prior (both freshmen for Windsor) the Yellowjackets had the lead 37-27 with 3:35 left in the third. McKeen set the tone for Windsor during this stretch by working hard in the paint and causing turnovers. Heading to the fourth, the Yellowjacket lead was 39-30.
In the fourth quarter, pressure heated up and caused both teams to commit multiple turnovers in the opening minutes. At the 6:20 mark, Rockwood had a bucket and a foul, despite now being double-teamed on every possession, and Windsor went up 42-32. Peoples’ press picked up the game’s intensity in the final minutes. With 3:00 remaining, Peoples’ Tatro-Germain had a big basket to bring the score to 44-37.
The Windsor crowd went wild after an offensive foul called on Tatro Germain but Peoples responded with a steal and a basket at the other end to make it 44-39 with just over two minutes left. Windsor’s Rockwood then had a free-throw and an assist to sophomore Angelina Bigwood on back-to-back possessions to go up 47-39. The score would get as close as 48-44 after a Peoples’ floater off the glass, but Rockwood hit two clutch free-throws to go up 50-44, and after a Peoples’ free-throw, the final of the game was 50-45.
For Peoples Academy, Tatro-Germain scored 15 points, while junior Lucy Kelley added 10. Windsor was led by Olivia Rockwood’s 33 points, with Prior scoring 6 and Bigwood chipping in 5.
Here is Peoples Academy head coach Benjamin Arsenault on the close loss: “We just didn’t execute well enough. We tried to slow Rockwood down but nothing worked. She’s a great player.”
On the other side, Windsor head coach Bruce McKay was appreciative to move on in the tournament. On the win, coach McKay said, “They were tough… they did a lot of good things, but we did a few things better than they did. Glad to get a win and move on to the championship.”
Windsor moves on to face a familiar foe in the championship game, Thetford Academy. Thetford nipped Windsor 53-52 in last year’s championship game after coming back from a 15-point deficit in the final six minutes. The Yellowjackets will look to get their revenge on Saturday night at 7:30 at Barre.
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