Mia Ducos and Quabbin girls basketball rising to the occasion
WORCESTER -- In a small gym on the campus of Notre Dame Academy on Tuesday, the Quabbin girls basketball team had a big challenge ahead.
The Panthers were facing a tough NDA squad, which is led by Addison Pong and owns notable wins over Doherty and Shepherd Hill. Pong finished with 26 points.
NDA may have Pong, but Quabbin has Mia Ducos.
Ducos scored 21 points and came up critical steals, tough finishes and clutch free throws as Quabbin prevailed, 50-44.
"She loves playing when the stage gets bigger," Quabbin coach Evan Barringer said of Ducos. "She is really starting to improve the second half of the season and everybody saw that."
At halftime, the score was tied and after three quarters, Quabbin led by just two points. Quabbin tried to pull away in the fourth quarter by limiting Pong.
The Panthers increased their lead in the fourth quarter, but it was quickly depleted when Pong sunk a 3-pointer with multiple Quabbin defenders trying to block her shot.
"Addison Pong, to me, is one of the best players in Central Mass., any division. The kid is literally almost impossible to stop," said Barringer.
Seizing the moment
This isn't the only instance that the Quabbin has shown drive and determination this season. After losing to Hudson early in the season by just 4 points, the Panthers defeated the powerhouse Hawks, 50-49, in double overtime.
"I think it's our want to win and go as far as we possibly can," Ducos said. "I feel like right now is the best season for us to work hard and do what's best for us as a team and I think that motivation is what keeps us going."
More: Vote for The Gardner News Athlete of the Week, Jan. 29-Feb.3
More: Co-op co-captains: These home-schooled students lead Murdock girls basketball
Although just a sophomore, Ducos has been playing varsity since she was in eighth grade, giving her and the other seniors three seasons of playing as a unit. Ducos and senior Meaghan Doyle are two of Quabbin's leading scorers, both averaging around 10 points per game.
An elite combination
Making up the starting five along with Ducos and Doyle are Riley Bassett, Bri Whitelaw and Hannah Baxter.
Coming off the bench to contribute are several other players, including Brooke Austin and Abby Rogowski, giving Quabbin a lot of options of who can help in any given moment.
"I think it's solely on chemistry. It's really hard to have a team that has a lot of chemistry," Ducos said. "I think because we have trust in each other and trust in the game we can achieve the goal of winning."
The Panthers have two regular season games left and currently sit at 12-4. Quabbin was No. 23 in the most recent MIAA power rankings.
This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Quabbin Regional girls basketball wants to make noise in MIAA tourney
