Our fourth and final semifinal scouting report of the year is here to breakdown the Division I Final Four. 

 The coaches are the ones who help put this together, giving us some of the best insight we get on these four teams since they are the ones scouting and game-planning for them all season long.

 We had four coaches breakdown both matchups and all four teams using blind quotes.

 Brought to you by our partner Kevin Shaw at Roche Realty!

 

Division II

Division II Standings and Scoring Leaders

Gold Level Coaches/Programs: Dan O'Rourke of Hanover, Brian Gray of Sanborn, Larry Meader of Kennett, Bryan Wall of Oyster River, Bob McNutt of Merrimack Valley, and Rebecca Carlile of Concord Christian

 

(4) John Stark vs. (1) Concord Christian 

 Concord Christian, while still young, has a lot of experience on their roster and two championships to their name. They have established themselves as the favorites and will play a John Stark team they did not see in the regular season. 

 The Generals have been on the cusp of the semifinals the past few seasons and their senior-led group helped them make the jump this season. 

 "Stark can cause a bit of havoc and Concord Christian is so patient and does not let you speed them up too easily.  It will be a fun chess match to see if either team gets flustered."

 The coaches first breakdown the four-seed.

  "This is a senior laden team with strong post play, as well as, outside shooting that makes it very difficult to defend both." 

 "John Stark has three players that can score the ball. Eleanor Giradet can beat you inside and out and should be a match up issue. Avery Geaumont is also a player that can drive and score. Abby Duclos is great from the outside as well," said another coach.

 "Stark is senior-laden which is really helped them this season. when Geaumont, Duclos, and Giradet are at their best they can be tough to beat. They’re going to need all three of them to really perform at a high-level."

 The size of the Generals posses has been their calling card all season long. 

 "Eleanor Giradet has the ability to make a major impact in the game. She’s the most talented post in Division II and demands double and triple teams. If she can establish a low post presence and consistently score, it will lead to inside-out opportunities for Geaumont and Duclos, who will need to make shots."

 "Eleanor will be the key for this game, she will have the height advantage and CC is used to forcing left so they will have to change for her," said one coach.

 Both backcourts will have a battle with one another. 

 "Guard play will be key in this one. Abby Duclos and Avery Geaumont going against Lilli Carlile and Taylor Rioux will be an impactful matchup."

 "The key will be if John Stark can slow down the game and move the ball on their offense. Concord Christian likes to play quick. If John Stark can feed their scoring players the ball after multiple reversals, they will get better opportunities and keep the ball out of Concord Christian's hand," said another coach.

 "If Stark can keep this game low scoring I think they have a chance. If this games ends up in the 60's I don’t see Stark scoring with them for 32 minutes."

 The role players will need to have an impact in this one for the Generals. 

 "Izabel Korbet really stepped up to in the quarterfinals. She has ability to to help them on the defensive end and knock down shots," said one coach. 

 "Tiffany (Lewis) has done a great job with this group, especially beating Pelham last round. They will need their rotation players to keep hitting outside shots to open up their three scorers to be successful."

 While the experience of seniors is good, playoff experience is something this group still lacks. 

 "Lack of experience in the 'big game' and inconsistent shooting could be a weakness. If they’re hitting their outside shots, they’re very dangerous. But, if they’re not, they’re beatable."

 What about CCA?

 "Concord Christian is scary because of how calmly they can pick you a part and spit you out.  You think you are playing pretty well and you look up and you are down 20-plus points.  I think Concord Christian has the advantage because of the calmness they play on their end," said one coach. 

 "They have five girls who can attack the rim, shoot the three, and constantly move which makes it very difficult to defend."

 "Concord Christian has won back-to-back championships and knows what it takes and how to play on the big stage. That experience gives them the advantage," said another coach.

 "Concord Christian is just really tough and fundamentally sound. You try to press them and they handle it, try to go to a zone and they find ways to beat you there and of course they run their their motion offense which is tough to stop." 

 Emma Smith and Lilli Carlile have been one of the toughest tandems to stop in the state. 

 "Emma Smith and Lilli Carlile have been their one-two punch throughout the season. They’re difficult to defend because of their athleticism, basketball IQ, constant motion, shooting range, and ability to attack the rim."

 "They are two 1,000 point scorers that have been playing since eighth grade. They have experience in the playoffs already."

 Could the lack of size be a factor in this one? 

 "Kate Smith will have to defend Giradet but their help defense will need to be impactful as well," said one coach. 

 "Concord is a fast team but not a tall team. Their only loss came to Laconia who has one of the best bigs in our division." 

 "One of the keys to the outcome of this game will be how it’s officiated. Will it be called tight, or will they allow physical play? If Concord Christian gets into foul trouble they’re vulnerable," said another coach.

 "Come tournament time, the stars usually show up. The X-factor to which team wins this game may come down to the supporting cast rather than the stars."

 So, who wins tonight? 

 "Concord Christian has been there and won it all multiple times so the nerves shouldn't get to them.  This slight mental edge is why I am picking Concord Christian to advance to the finals." 

 "Concord Christian. I think their experience, team chemistry, balanced scoring, ability to run, and having two players that are capable of scoring 20-plus points are too much to overcome." 

 "Concord Christian, it is hard to beat a team that plays together all year round, have playoff experience in multiple divisions and has two thousand point scorers." 

 "I give the edge to Concord Christian simply because I don’t see Stark getting enough stops on the defensive end to keep this game close."

 

(3) Pembroke vs. (2) Laconia

 We have another matchup between two teams who did not matchup in the regular season. 

 Both Pembroke and Laconia finished at 15-3, with the Sachems earning the tie-breaker with a win over #1 Concord Christian. 

 "These are two teams that can score the ball and probably have two of the top five players in the division with Macy Swormstedt and Annelise Dexter."

 Our coaches first take a look at the Spartans. 

 "Out of all the teams we played, Pembroke was the one team we played that seems to be able to adjust and come at you in so many ways.  Once you think you have an advantage or find a weakness, it is gone," said one coach. 

 "They attack you offensively and defensively and don't let up until the game is in hand.  They have obvious size and skill in Annelise Dexter but the rest of their team is full of length and strength that makes just about everything a chore offensively and defensively." 

 "Their size and shooting are a strength. Dexter and Kaitlin Arenella are a formidable one-two scoring punch. To be effective, they’ll
need to balance their outside scoring ability with finishing at the rim." 

 Dexter has been at the forefront of everything the Spartans have accomplished this season. The supporting cast may be relied upon to help win this one. 

 "Hailey Steinmetz could be the x-factor," said one coach. 

 "If they rely too much on Dexter and she is a little off, they could find themselves in scoring ruts." 

 "Anne Phillips and Kate Stephens could swing the game. They will need to help take care of the basketball. Both are starting to play like upperclassmen," said another coach.

 Defensively, what is the gameplan to slow down Macy Swormstedt?

 "Who will guard Swormstedt? In other words, what defense or defenses will Pembroke employ to attempt to contain Macy? Man with extensive help, a Box and 1, or a match-up zone? Macy isn’t guardable with one player, so it will be interesting to see what strategy Pembroke employs," said one coach. 

 What about Laconia? 

 "This team is tournament tested. They have guard play that can control tempo and score when necessary."

 "Laconia plays fast. If you are not ready to play fast it can be too big a deficit to climb out of," said another coach.

"They’re just tough to stop. They’re big with Mekhia Burton and Renee Bergeron and if Macy Swormstedt gets going with Maddy Mousseau and they’re hitting shots they could be tough to beat. They just do a good job on both ends of the floor." 

 The biggest storyline heading into this one is the status of Mekhia Burton who was ejected from the Sachems quarterfinal win over Hanover. The senior is unlikely to suit up tonight,

 "The question about whether Burton plays is the pivotal factor in determining who has the advantage. With her, Laconia has the advantage because she controls the paint and boards, which along with excellent guard plays, makes Laconia a tough out. In her absence, Laconia has big shoes to fill and doesn’t have the bench strength to contain Pembroke," said one coach. 

 With that being the case, Macy Swormstedt will be relied on even more in this one. 

 "Laconia has one of the best players in the state in Swormstedt.  She can beat any defense in transition, getting in the paint while attacking the rim, and shooting over zones and tough on ball defense."  

 "I think Swormstedt scores the most points between both Final Four games."

 "Macy is a match-up nightmare and very difficult to guard. She’s a mature player who doesn’t get rattled. Her composure, along with her quickness, high level of skill and basketball IQ allows her to control the tempo and potentially take over the game," said one coach. 

 "I don’t see anybody on the other end, being able to guard Macy."

 Maddy Mousseau has been one of the most improved players in the division, and her emergence has made this team more dynamic. 

 "Maddy Mosseau has been very consistent all season and can impact the game on both ends. Offensively, she knows when to cut, can hit the outside shot, and is constantly in motion. Defensively, she’s quick with good length. This versatility allows her to play guards or posts."

 Defensively this group will need to step up, especially without their leader on that end in Burton. 

 "Who will guard Dexter? This is the $100,000 question. Makayla Keegan’s quickness and athleticism could disrupt Annelise on the perimeter, but Keegan is too small to guard Dexter in the post," said one coach.  

 "Maddy Mosseau has more size than Keegan but, she too, is too small to guard her in the post, especially with Dexter’s jumping ability. Renee Bergeron has the size to guard Dexter in the post but lacks the quickness to guard her on the perimeter. Does Laconia go man with
lots of help or do they play 3-2 zone?"

 "I give the edge to Laconia here because defensively I think that they are tougher, and will limit Pembroke to one shot," said another coach. 

 "Laconia's aggressive defense can be used against them creating open looks and easy baskets  which I could see Pembroke using in their favor."

 "Will Laconia pressure full-court and play fast-paced to attempt to get transition points and tire out Pembroke? It’s a risky move given their lack of depth and the potential of foul trouble. Will Pembroke change their philosophy from relying on outside shooting and attempt to pound the ball inside?" 

 So, who wins tonight? 

 "My prediction is Pembroke by double digits."

 "I think it will be a close game. The winner will depend on whether Burton plays. If she plays, I think Laconia has too much firepower, both offensively and defensively, for Pembroke to match. However, if she doesn’t play and Pembroke can establish an inside presence, I think they’ll win." 

 "I think the two best teams in the division Concord Christian and Laconia will end up meeting in the finals." 

 "I will go with Pembroke in a tight one."