Mystic Valley tops Leicester in D4 girls’ basketball playoffs

By Emily Brennan

The Mystic Valley Regional Charter School girls’ basketball team started tournament action on a high note with a memorable 41-38 win over Leicester on Tuesday evening. The team used a balanced scoring attack and a big second half run to overcome a 15-0 deficit.

With the win, the Eagles advanced to the second round (32) of the D4 MIAA Girls Basketball Tournament to face Tyngsborough. Tyngsborough is the No. 2 seed with a near-perfect divisional record of 19-1. Head Coach Rick Pulsifer admitted that “It’s going to be a tough, but we’re a resilient team.”

Bailey DeLeire led the team, pouring in a game-high 16 points, seven steals, four rebounds and an assist. Breana Nansamba totaled 14 points and four steals, while Sylvie LaFeber scored six with three steals. Rim Badaoui scored two and registered three rebounds.

Leicester came strong out of the gate as they hit nine of their first 10 shot attempts en route to a 15-0 advantage. Nansamba ended Mystic Valley’s scoring drought at 1:49 with a bucket and a free throw. DeLeire added another successful free throw right before the buzzer, and the Eagles fell behind 17-4 in the first quarter.

The Eagles fended off Leicester in the second quarter as they went on a 9-0 run to get back in the game. Leicester hit a pair of foul shots with 1:32 remaining, but the Wolverines would not get another point from there and went into halftime with an uncomfortable 19-13 cushion.

The second half witnessed a remarkable comeback from the Eagles, as they rallied together, closing the gap with strategic play. Nansamba scored the first five points in the opening three minutes of the third quarter. Mystic Valley and Leicester found themselves tied at 25-25 with just 39 seconds left. Unfortunately, the Eagles full-court defense broke down and Leicester drained a three-pointer to end the third quarter with a small 28-25 lead.

Mystic Valley would not go away quietly: Nansamba buried a triple within the opening minute of the final quarter. The teams would pass the lead back and forth down to the final buzzer, but the victory came from behind the free throw line. With 55 seconds left in the game, LaFeber hit her second three of the night to give the Eagles a 39-37 boost. DeLeire hit two free throws with just four seconds left in the game to clinch the nail-biting victory.