BY PETER WALLACE
REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN
FALLS VILLAGE — The Housatonic High girls basketball team is on its way to the first Class S semifinal in the program’s history thanks to a 60-48 win over Weaver on Tuesday night at home.
The Mountaineers (22-3), ranked No. 2 in Class S, came out red-hot in a fast-paced game, hitting inside and out.
An early pair of steals by Chloe Dakers (game-high 16 points) and another by Amanda Jacquier established Housy as a solid defensive team.
Layups and a pair of threes by Dakers and Emily Geyselaers launched the Mountaineers to an 18-10 lead in the first quarter.
But No. 26 Weaver (10-11) comes from the Central Connecticut Conference, which is full of Class L and LL schools. The Beavers are built to push, not be pushed by a Class S school.
Storming back behind Tatiana Duncan (15 points), Nyasia Nieves (14) and Terra Fair (12), Weaver closed to a 33-26 deficit by halftime and kept pushing in the second half.
A 3-pointer by Daijhmonae Vasquez closed the gap to just 49-45 with 1:51 left to play in the game.
That’s when Dakers, Housatonic’s senior point guard, took over. She calmly sank seven of eight foul shots in the final two minutes to put the game slowly out of reach.
“I was frustrated with myself,” said Dakers. “I didn’t produce as many passes as usual, so when I looked at the scoreboard, I told myself to calm down.”
Ultimately, the win came down to Dakers’ poise, not only at the foul line but all over the court in a game in which missed layups were frequent on both sides.
“When we get the bunnies, it changes the tone of the whole game,” said Mountaineers coach Steve Dodge. “Chloe’s got the cool head on her. She deals with pressure very well.”
Now the Mountaineers will make history Friday night, win or lose, appearing in their first semifinal ever at Simsbury High at 7 p.m. against defending Class S champion Canton.