The best girls basketball game of championship weekend just might be the last one.
Two powerhouses will clash Sunday at 4 p.m. at Lowell’s Tsongas Center when top-ranked Bishop Fenwick faces No. 2 Pittsfield for the Division 3 state title. In terms of star power, play style and experience, the Crusaders and Generals are so evenly matched that they may as well be mirror images of one another.
Bishop Fenwick (19-5) boasts a pair of 1,000 point scorers in senior captains Celia Neilson and Caitlyn Boyle. Neilson has played like a women possessed thus far in the postseason, taking over in the second half of each of Fenwick’s last two playoff triumphs.
Boyle, at 6-foot-2, has been a matchup nightmare for Crusader opponents. She nearly always makes sure there are no second chances by cleaning up the glass and can score as well.
Pittsfield (20-5) brings its own powerful 1-2 scoring bunch to the dance, however. Caprese Conyers averages 16.3 points per game this winter while Harolyn Castillo scores at a 13 ppg clip. Each pulls down in excess of eight rebounds per game, so the battle on the boards could be certainly be key on Sunday night.
The Generals are in a state final for the first time since 2002, but made the Final Four a year ago, giving this year’s crew some valuable playoff experience. Shifty guard Kyana Summers chips in with nine points per game and handles the ball to the tune of 5.0 assists on average.
Like Bishop Fenwick, which is seeking its first state title since 2016, Pittsfield has great wind, is very athletic and can use a full court press to cause turnovers. Only once in eight playoff games has either team allowed the opposition to surpass even 40 points.
In terms of dominance, Bishop Fenwick and Pittsfield are also similar. The Generals have blown out their four playoff opponents by an average of 30.5 points while the Crusaders have done so by an average of 20.5 points.
One advantage Fenwick typically has over its foes is the difficulty of its schedule because seeing tough teams often helps the Crusaders play faster.
While the Crusaders went 1-1 against Division 2 state finalist St. Mary’s Lynn this winter, Pittsfield has also played its share of excellent competition.
Of their five losses, two came to D1 finalist Springfield Central and two others came against D2 Final Four club Minnechaug and D4 finalist South Hadley.
So when the Generals head to Lowell from the Berkshires for Sunday’s championship game, they’ll likely be more than ready for battle.
Bishop Fenwick has plenty of depth to contend with a team that loves to press. Senior captain Brittney Figulski is a capable guard, as are defensive demons and junior guards Reese Spurchise and Abby Jenkins. Freshman guard Taisha Castillo has given the Crusaders a major lift throughout the tourney as well.