Natalie GomezTuesday marked the first day of the division girls collegiate viewing period for prospective high school basketball players . Many of New England's top AAU clubs and players gathered at the beautiful campus of St. Michael's College for a one day showcase run by Lone Wolfe Athletics. There was no shortage of talent in the gym and know shortage of coaches as many of the regions top division one, two, and three universities made there way to Vermont.
The day started off with the NE Crusaders Blue, Mass Frenzy , Rhode Island Breakers, NH Rivals, Bay State Jaguars, and NE Crusaders White all playing at the same time on consecutive courts. In these games, many of the top prospects from Mass and New Hampshire were on the floor.
Court 1 featured a great match up between NE Crusaders Blue and the Mass Frenzy. These two teams slugged it out for 32 minutes. The Crusaders were lead by there talented front court trio of New Hampshire's Danielle Walczak , Karima Gabriel and Maine's top prospect Nikki Taylor. The Crusaders used there size and brute force to seal a victory over the Frenzy . However the Frenzy gave the Crusaders all they could handle. The Frenzy are anchored by the play of there 6 ft forward Mariah Lesure. Her play this spring has placed among the top prospects in all of New England. Lesure has tons of upside and she seems to get better every time we see her play . She can play inside and outside and has the ability to finish in traffic. Lesure has the ability to dominate games during crucial times. Look for her to be on the radar of many college coaches.
Court 2 featured the Rhode Island Breakers taking on the Bay State Jaguars. Both teams are very deep and there was no shortage of size out there on the court. The Breakers were lead by Mass top junior Natalie Gomez and Gabie Polce. Both Polce and Gomez used their ability to put the ball on the floor to create open opportunities for teammates and themselves. The Jaguars were lead by another highly regarded Mass guard in Briana Hunt. Hunt is a very crafty ball handler who can shoot and who has the ability to create and finish at the rim. However her play was not enough to best the top team in New England.
Court 3 feature the NH Rivals versus the NE Crusaders White. The Crusaders were lead by Merrimack College bound Melissa Miller and New Hampshire's Allie Wagner. The Rivals were able to take control of the game from the start. Rivals were lead by the play of Madeline Blais and Lizzy Ball. Blais who continues to prove she is one of the top shooters in New England was able to connect of 4 threes from down town . Blais finished with a game high 22 . Lizzy ball ran the show for the Rivals with an array of drives to the basket. Ball was able to find teammates for open looks as well as getting herself to the rim to finish. Ball also has proven to be a lock down defender wreaking havoc on the defensive end for her opponents. Ball finished with 15 pts.
Tuesday also marked the highly anticipated return of super sophomore Nicole Boudreau of Andover High School. Boudreau was sidelined this past AAU season with a stress fracture in her back. Boudreau has the ability to score in bunches. She has range well beyond the three point arc and she also has the ability to attack the rim and finish . She is a big time scorer and competitor. In high school, she plays along side breakers Natalie Gomez. Arguably these two together are the top high school backcourt in New England. The two have already won a MAII Division 1 State Championship. Boudreau looked rusty at times through out the day, but she showed flashes of greatness and everybody knows how good she is.
