In the Division 2 State Championship game, 5th seed out of the North, the Arlington Catholic Cougars will take on 1st seed out of the Central, the Medfield Warriors. The state championship game between the 2 elite Girls Basketball programs will take place Saturday March 18th at 1:15pm in Springfield at Blake Arena.
Arlington Catholic finished the regular season 14 and 6 and defeated 12th seeded Danvers, 4th seeded Pentucket, 1st seeded Belmont and 6th seeded Hamilton-Wenham in the North D4 sectional championship. Medfield finished the regular season 18 and 2 and defeated 9th seeded Note Dame Academy, 5th seeded Wayland and 2nd seeded Hopkinton to claim the Central D2 championship.
In the D2 State Semi-Finals, Arlington Catholic defeated South Champion, Foxboro 37-30 and Medfield defeated West Champion, Pittsfield 55-38.
Scoring Average
Arlington Catholic – 49 Points Per Game, Opponents PPG – 44
Medfield – 57 Points Per Game, Opponents PPG – 36
Medfield: This season in scoring, Medfield has been led by Junior, Megan McCarthy and Senior, Lauren Casieri. McCarthy averages 15 PPG while Casieri puts up 14 on average. Both Casieri and McCarthy are also the key low post threats, averaging slightly more than 7 rebounds a game each.
Medfield surpasses the national average in nearly every category, the Warriors on average shoot 37% from the free throw line, pull down 32.4 rebounds, rack up 14.7 assists and average a whopping 16.2 steals per a game.
Seniors, Megan Zona, Allie Petit, Sophia Ouimette and Lauren Casieri rack up over 2 steals a game on average while up and coming Junior star, Megan McCarthy is the team leader pulling in 4.4 steals on average.
Head Coach Mark Nickerson has been with Medfield since 2004 and has turned the Medfield HS girls basketball team into an elite constant contender.
Arlington Catholic: In the state semi-finals, Arlington Catholic overcame a 16-0 run from Foxboro and went on an 18-4 run of their own to come away with the 37-30 win. Arlington Catholic also features a wide array of talent such as Lena Perez who put up 11 points and pulled down 14 rebounds and Erin Donlan who netted 14 points in the semi-finals victory. Like Medfield, the Cougars are solid on both sides of the ball.
Medfield Recent Playoff History:
2016: Medfield lost Sectional Finals to Notre Dame Academy 58-53.
2015: Medfield went into the Central D2 bracket as a 4th seed and took the sectional championship defeating the 5th seed, 1st seed and 6th seed. Medfield advanced to the state finals that year defeating West Champion Belchertown in the semi-finals. Medfield lost to South champion, Duxbury in the D2 State Championship 51-42.
2014: Medfield lost in an overtime heartbreaker in the Central D2 sectional finals to Nashoba 57-55.
2013: Medfield competed in the South Division 2 sectional bracket and won the sectional championship against Duxbury 47-43. That year Coach Nickerson and the Medfield Warriors captured the Division 2 State Championship defeating Reading in the semi-finals 59-51 after overtime and Nashoba in the finals 54-36.
2012: Medfield lost in the South Division 2 Sectional Quarter Finals 59-56 after Overtime against Hopkinton.
2011: 1st seeded Medfield lost an upset to 8th seeded Bishop-Feehan in the South D2 sectional quarter-finals.
2010: 4th seeded Medfield lost to 1st seeded Fontbonne in the sectional quarter-finals.
2009: 3rd seeded Medfield lost in the sectional Semi-finals to 7th seeded Notre Dame Academy. In addition to the Sectional championship, Notre Dame also claimed the D2 State Championship that season.
2008: 11th seeded Medfield made it all the way to the sectional semi-finals and lost by 7 points to 2nd seeded Walpole.
2007: 16th seeded 10 and 10 Medfield lost in the first round to 1st seededed Bishop Feehan.
2007 is the last year the MIAA playoff records go back but what a run it has been for Medfield. Over 10 years in a row, the Warriors have reached the post season and their success continues.
Arlington Catholic also has a playoff run that is now over 10 seasons long.
Arlington Catholic Recent Playoff History:
2016: 3rd seed and Lost in sectional semi-finals to 10th seeded Belmont.
2015: 3rd seeded once again and lost to 2nd seeded Pentucket in Sectional Semi-Finals.
2014: Went in as 3rd seed and Won Sectional Finals over 1st Seeded Watertown. Arlington Catholic also went on to win the 2014 State championship defeating Duxbury in the Semi-finals and Longmeadow in overtime for the victory.
2013: They were the 3rd seed and lost in the sectional quarter-finals to 6th seeded North Andover.
2012: They were the 2nd seed lost in the sectional championship to 1st seeded Reading. Reading went undefeated that year and won the D2 state title.
2011: They went in as the 6th seed and won the sectional title over 5th seeded Gloucester. Arlington Cathloic also took home the state title defeating Hopkinton in the semi-finals and Millbury in the finals.
2010: Went in as 3rd seed and lost to 1st seeded Melrose in Sectional-Finals.
2009: Went in as 2nd seed and defeated 4th seeded Reading for Sectional title. They lost in the state semi-finals to state champion that year Notre Dame Academy.
2008: They were the 10th seed and lost in the Sectional Semi-finals to 6th seeded Reading.
2007: 6th seeded and lost in sectional quarter-finals to 3rd seeded Lincoln-Sudbury
