Wachusett Regional High’s bid for a Division 1 state championship ended March 15 with a 48-40 loss to top-seed Bishop Feehan High at Lowell’s Tsongas Center. The teams battled from start to finish, with top honors on the line and what would have been the first championship in Wachusett school history.
The No. 2 seed Mountaineers (24-1) entered the contest having made their third-consecutive semifinal appearance and having defeated Feehan, 76-45, last month. Earning a championship berth took post-season victories over Brockton, Braintree, Weymouth and Springfield Central.
Emotions ran high as the second half buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the team’s dream, set months ago. Tears flowed mightily, especially for the seniors playing in their final matchup. Rileigh Leary, Mary Gibbons, Liz Cain, Lil Chaisson, Caitlin Ciccone, Hannah Best and Olivia Reidy all had donned the green and white for one final time.
But the Shamrocks had other ideas, and what better timing for them than St. Patrick’s Day? Despite Wachusett’s lopsided win earlier in the season, Bishop Feehan arrived poised and ready to bring their best, while the Mountaineers never got into a steady, rhythmic flow, according to head coach Jim Oxford.
“It’s an honor and a privilege to be able to coach these kids,” said Oxford in an earlier interview. “Our players are smart. They work hard and take what they learn individually, and they bring it to these games. I’m so proud of them.”
This 2023-2024 season marked the third consecutive campaign in which the green and white have captured the MIAA Division 1 Final Four trophy. Wachusett fell to Andover in last year’s semifinals and looked to reverse that trend to give the program its first state championship.
Once more this season was Gibbons’ game high (16 points on the night) leading the way. But putting just 40 points on the board was an anomaly for this group, which averaged more than 60 points per game all season. Kudos to the Shamrock defense, including senior Julia Webster, who tallied a team-high 15 points and was part of an exceedingly stout defensive unit that held the Mountaineers in check.
Feehan came out strong, taking a 22-16 advantage into halftime, but Wachusett looked to reverse fortunes in the final 16 minutes. Cain, Gibbons and Best combined for an 8-0 run that included erasing a 14-point deficit with just under 3 minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Gibbons, who plays the game with unbridled grit and determination, suffered a bloody left elbow in the fourth quarter, necessitating a trip to the bench for bandaging. She returned and buried a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to two points, 38-36, with just under 3 minutes remaining in the game, but the Shamrocks scored 7 consecutive points to seal the win and earn the state title.
Leading scorers on the night for Wachusett included Gibbons with 16 while Best scored 6 points, Cain 8, and sophomore Jaelynn Scott with 7.
“We’ve been playing together since fourth grade, so it’s special,” said Gibbons of the roles of the senior team captains. “We’re the people we used to look up to when we were little, and now we are the ones trying to set an example for the younger kids, and it’s great to see them here. This is what we’ve wanted for the past 10 years.”
“They were determined coming into the season,” said Oxford, who eclipsed his 300th career milestone victory in early February. “They knew they were close after knocking at the door the last two years. They’re playing with a lot of confidence. When we’re shooting well and playing well, we’re a hard team to beat.”
Members of the 2023-2024 Wachusett Regional High girls Division 1 MIAA semifinal basketball team are Rileigh Leary, Sophie Gibbons, Mary Gibbons, Liz Cain, Lil Chaisson, Jae Scott, Akosua Adu-Gyamfi, Caitlin Ciccone, Hannah Best, Teegan Lanpher and Olivia Reidy. Captains are Leary, Cain, Best and Mary Gibbons.
| Wachusett Regional High girls’ varsity basketball made it to the Final 4. Timothy Orrell |
