Tonight, the No. 4 seed Holy Cross girls basketball team plays for a spot in next weekend’s Class M state championship game.
Standing in the way of the Crusader dream is the top-seeded, undefeated Cromwell Panthers in the semifinals.
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| Holy Cross head coach Frank Lombardo gives his thoughts on tomorrow night’s Class M semifinal against Cromwell. |
“Cromwell is a very good team,” Holy Cross head coach Frank Lombardo wrote in an email Thursday afternoon. “They have senior leadership, and experience playing in big games.”
Lombardo gave some keys to going up against the Panthers.
“I feel we have to force perimeter shots and rebound defensively,” Lombardo wrote. “Cromwell does a nice job passing the ball and being patient on offense. I also feel they have good post players who work hard rebounding on the offensive side.”
There’s a lot to cover with Cromwell, but Holy Cross has been hard at work figuring it out.
“The last couple of practices have been very intense,” Lombardo wrote. “We are trying to focus on our team defense. Defending screens, dribble penetration and defensive rebounding have been a focal point.”
Defense will be a big key for Holy Cross.
“I think if we play good team defense, that will set the tone of the game,” Lombardo wrote. “Creating turnovers will allow us to fast break, which will give us an advantage offensively.”
The players are excited about being in the semifinals, Lombardo wrote.
“They players set many goals in the beginning of the year, and now they put themselves in a position to reach those goals,” Lombardo said. “I am also very excited for this team. They are a true team. They work very hard in practice and get excited when each other does well.”
What’s left is for Holy Cross to bring what they’ve done in practice onto the floor at Berlin High School against Cromwell. The game is scheduled for 6 p.m. and is the first game of a doubleheader. The second semifinal pits No. 2 Enfield against No. 11 Notre Dame-Fairfield. The winners meet at next weekend at Mohegan Sun Arena with the championship on the line.
