March is upon us and the Final Four matchups have been set. Plymouth State, a gym I never played at but a gym I sure watched a lot of basketball in is the location for Division IV. 

 When the quarterfinal matchups came out, these are the four teams in my mind that would be playing for a chance in the championship game on Friday night.  

 Jen and I won't be there on Wednesday, but Dave Haley and Austin Grass will, to bring you the coverage of Hinsdale vs. Woodsville, and Littleton vs. Colebrook.  

 Our coverage is brought to you by our friends and partners at White Mountains Community College, with locations in Berlin, Littleton, and North Conway. 

 

#3 Hinsdale vs #2 Woodsville 

Hinsdale Team Page 

Woodsville Team Page

 Two unfamiliar foes and two teams who play different brands of basketball. This will be the most intriguing matchup of the two. Littleton and Colebrook have seen each other many times before, but this will be a first for both sides.  

 Newmarket was a problem for both of these teams. Hinsdale's only two regular-season losses were to the Mules and Woodsville just scraped by with a 29-27 in the quarterfinals. From those games alone you would assume this one is going to be close. 

 The Pacers return to Plymouth State a season removed from being crowned the runners-up and after the loss of Angelina Nardolillo. It is safe to say that not many people expected Hinsdale back in this situation, but once again, here they are. 

 The outside shot is the main source of offense for this group. Delaney Wilcox leads that charge, but don't let her get a step on you going to the basket. Wilcox has played at an all-state level all year long and has done a tremendous job leading this group. The junior has been to the championship game every year of her career, and she will look to get back there once again.  

 Megan Roberts has been so solid for Hinsdale this season. She always seems to be in the right place at the right time and is another outside threat for Hinsdale. She was hitting three's in the championship game a season ago as a freshman and is back as a sophomore much more experienced. 

 Audrey Martin may be undersized for a forward, but she makes work of other defenders down low. She crashes the glass with purpose and has an array of options outside the arc for an easy kick out. Martin will be as important as any player on the floor, as she will be tasked with keeping Olivia Sarkis off of the glass. 

 Olivia Pangelinan led a balanced scoring effort in the quarterfinals with 14. Pangelinan, another shooter for this group, will force Woodsville to guard the perimeter heavily with all five defenders. 

 This will be a big stage for Addy Nardollilo, who will get her first taste of Plymouth State on Wednesday night. After watching her sister the past few years, I'm sure Addy already knows what the atmosphere will taste like. The eighth-grader is a reliable option in the corners for the Pacers. If she can get one or two to drop early her confidence will be through the roof.  

 Kleay Steever must control the pace for this group. Steever makes really good decisions with the basketball in her hands but it will be what she does defensively that could be huge. Disrupting the passing lanes and making every rotation tough for Woodsville must be a focal point. 

 Woodsville is already winning this matchup with size. It will be the effort of Hinsdale that will win this game. Don't let Hinsdale get hot, many of them have seen shots fall with these rims before. 

 The Engineers have the group to finally get over the semifinal hump. Back in November, head coach Russ Wilcox said his Woodsville team was tired of peaking in the semifinals, they want to go one step further this year.  

 The heroics of Olivia Sarkis helped Woodsville prevail against #6 Newmarket. The offense struggled mightily, but the defense was there all night. Defense wins championships, and the Engineers play some of the best defense in the division.  

 Sarkis, as mentioned above, holds the size advantage in this contest. She has very good touch for a forward and she is a problem on the offensive glass. Her ability to generate second chances will be key. Working Sarkis through the high post may be the best way to generate good looks for Woodsville. 

 If you want a point guard who can control the tempo in Division IV, you would pick Emily Prest. She makes the right decision with the ball in her hands nine times out of ten. The big floor may work to Hinsdale's advantage with their ability to really spread you out, but Prest could be the deciding factor in whether or not Woodsville executes on a majority of their possessions. 

 Graci Kaiser could be tasked with guarding Delaney Wilcox. Kaiser has proven to be one of the better on-ball defenders in the division and that narrative must prove true on Wednesday for Woodsville. If her outside shot is falling and she can shut down Wilcox on the other end of the floor Woodsville will be in good shape. 

 Mackenzie Kingsbury and Morgan Wagstaff are reliable two-way options for this group.  These are two X-factor candidates in this game as if one or both could score in double-digits, that takes more pressure off of Sarkis, Prest, and Kaiser, and could even open more looks up for them. 

 Mackenzie Dennis provides more size to an already lengthy frontcourt. If she can cause havoc down low and show that she is a threat down low, Hinsdale is in for a long night on the low-post. 

 I expect this game to go down to the wire. If Hinsdale is lighting it up from downtown, the Pacers will walk away with this game. If Woodsville can make this a defensive battle, they have the ability to grind out a tight one.

 

#5 Littleton vs #1 Colebrook 

Littleton Team Page 

Colebrook Team Page 

 It is always great to get a North Country matchup in the Final Four. Both sides pack the gym and it always makes for a great game. Colebrook took their only regular-season meeting (Box Score), but Littleton had a fighters chance, even leading as much as 15 points at one point before the Mohawks erupted for a 22 point third quarter. 

 The Crusaders showed experience and poise during their 46-42 quarterfinal victory over #5 Sunapee, and that same experience and poise will help them on Wednesday night. Plymouth State is basically Littleton's second home. They have been in these types of games before whereas the Mohawks only time at Plymouth was last year with this group.  

 Jasmine Brown will have the most amount of experience out of anyone on the floor. A bigger floor makes for more room for a player like Brown to make plays for herself and others. It is tough to find a rhythm at Plymouth, but having played on this floor many times prior I don't think Brown will have any problems getting comfortable. 

 Olivia Corrigan has done a great job running the offense for Dale Prior's squad. The downside to playing on a bigger floor is the amount of ground a point guard has to cover. Corrigan will have to adjust to the width and length of the Plymouth State court. 

 Jackie Maker stepped up huge with 13 points in last Thursday's quarterfinal victory. Her ability to get easy looks off of the third or fourth pass makes her a dangerous option. Everything is simple with Maker,'s game, and that sometimes makes her a forgotten option. 

 Lauren McKee gets her first taste of Plymouth State on Wednesday night. The sophomore has stepped up in the biggest of games and her impact could change the outcome of this one. You always worry about players who rely on their jumpshot because historically, teams struggle shooting the ball at Plymouth. If she can at least get a few looks to fall that could open up more looks going to the rim.  

 Where you start to worry about this group is controlling the tempo. Colebrook will want to get out and run even on a big floor. If Littleton plays into that, the Mohawks will have their number. The Crusaders will want to take long possessions and at times take the air out of the basketball. Take smart shots and Littleton should be just fine. 

 Even as the 5th seed, you have to like Littleton's chances. They gave Colebrook one of their closer games during the regular season, and they have been in these situations before. Don't count out the Crusaders just yet.  

 The Mohawks undefeated season is alive and well. The one team that I am sure Colebrook would have liked to avoid, Groveton, gave them quite the game. After the first half, it looked like the Eagles were going to control the game, but then Sage Smith and Sam Howe happened. 

 Smith and Howe can take over a game in a matter of seconds. When Smith is locked in, she can shoot anywhere in the gym. The past few games it has taken her about a quarter or so to get going. In the playoffs, they need Smith locked and loaded from the opening tip.  

 Howe does it all for this team. She is the ultimate team player but also has a gear she can shift to where she takes over a game with her shot-making ability. She gives you 110% night in and night out and is the biggest mismatch on the floor with her inside-out game. 

 Mackenzie Scherer struggled to score last Thursday, but up for it as she always does with her tough-nosed defense. Scherer will be tasked with shutting down Jasmine Brown and she is more than ready for the challenge. Scherer played in her first Final Four as an eighth-grader and is now looking to keep her career going as a senior on the same stage. 

 Sierra Riff was in foul-trouble against Groveton, forcing Steve Cass to go deeper into his bench than he would have liked. Riff is a complimentary piece out on the floor with her play on the defensive end. You need defense at Plymouth State and Colebrook needs Riff on the floor as much as possible. 

 Ariana Lord has a huge size advantage. An aggressive Lord changes this game entirely. Lord favors the 12-foot jumper on the baseline, but if she can go to work on the low-block and get you 6-8 points just off of post-ups that could be huge for Colebrook. Lord must control the glass and not give Littleton any second chances, as we know the Crusaders will be crashing the glass hard. 

 It will be interesting to see if Colebrook sets up in full-court pressure at all in this contest. This is a defense that was perfectly executed on a smaller floor, but if the Mohawks want to cause some havoc they may try and throw it at Littleton if they feel they are controlling the pace of the game. 

 Colebrook is the favorite, but they will need a full-team effort to move on to Friday. At one point last Thursday, Sage Smith and Sam Howe were the only players to score for Colebrook. Everyone will need to contribute to hold off the defending champs.