WINDSOR, Conn. – Every possession down the stretch was an ordeal for St. Luke's. Turnovers, shot-clock violations and contested looks meant easy buckets were a rarity.
But for Rivers and Natalia Hall-Rosa, they were a luxury. The senior guard/forward had her way at the rim, at mid-range and anywhere in between.
Backed by Hall-Rosa’s team-high 21 points, third-seeded Rivers (19-8) locked up No. 5 St. Luke’s (15-10) in the second half en route to a 53-37 triumph Sunday afternoon in the NEPSAC Class B championship, held at Loomis Chaffee.
“I knew they were going to fight. They weren't going to make it easy for us, so I was just trying to simplify it for myself and my teammates (by) getting what they were giving to us,” Hall-Rosa said. “Just bringing the defense, keeping it simple and doing what I do.”
MORE NEPSAC TITLES: AAA — Tilton | AA — Worcester Academy | A — Loomis Chaffee
Defense has been the calling card for the Red Wings all tournament, first in holding No. 6 Greens Farms to 45 points and then edging out No. 2 Berkshire, 44-43, in the semifinals on Saturday.
At first, it looked like St. Luke’s might have a solution.
Camdyn Nelson was the supposed solvent. The Syracuse commit flexed her range with a 3-pointer to open the Storm’s outing before totalling 10 points in the first half alone.
In his plan to prevent an offensive outbreak, Rivers coach Kenny Small didn’t give the Nelson assignment to any veteran. Joy Robinson – a freshman – guarded her, and taking on an opponent’s best weapon has been her specialty.
“Just a special player on defense for us from the first practice,” Small said. “We trust her, and she really stepped up for us big-time. She’s shut down some of the best players who are going to be playing on TV next year.”
Rivers boasted a 27-22 advantage at the half, held back largely by free-throw shooting woes. Hall-Rosa found a groove inside, tallying 10 points of her own, and only dug it deeper from there.
The Seton Hall commit headlined a day of dominance inside the paint for the Red Wings, featuring the senior complements of guard/forward Grace O’Sullivan and guard Narissa Smith with 14 and 11 points, respectively. Each drew her fair share of contact on drives to the rim.
“We've been doing a lot better with that,” Hall-Rosa said. “Throughout the season, we were able to grow and just really lock in on those key details. We got it.”
Surrendering just 15 second-half points allowed the Red Wings to comfortably secure celebration.
For Small, it’s a golden culmination for his first year at the helm. He donned gold sneakers on the sideline precisely for the occasion.
“This is surreal. I can't even put into words how I feel,” Small said. “I've been telling the girls this whole year that they are a championship team.”
