Don't let them fool you. The Drury girls' basketball team can attack with an inside game or an outside game.
With three starters towering at 5-foot-9 or taller, the Blue Devils can beat most teams to rebounds.
"We have a lot of taller girls and we really are taller then most," Shannon Garvey said. "I think that down low we really are aggressive and I think that's what helps us out the most."
But all three of those players can shoot the ball, as well.
"Everybody can shoot the ball," junior Emily Moulton said. "It doesn't matter where you are on the court. We practice shooting every day. If you set your feet, it's got a good chance of going in."
Need evidence? Look no further than Garvey. The 5-10 center hit a jumper from the foul line in Drury's quarterfinal victory over South Hadley. That proved to be the game-winning shot. In Drury's semifinal victory over Wahconah, Garvey knocked down a 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter to help increase the team's lead.
"When you can put five kids on the court that can put the ball in the hoop, it makes it tough," Drury coach John Franzoni said. "All our kids can shoot."
Garvey averaged 12.2 points per game this season, but also contributed almost seven rebounds. She was the team's leading scorer. Moulton can also shoot the long ball. She averaged 6.7 points per game to go along with her team-leading 7.8 rebounds per contest.
Ali Tatro, the shortest
"Against our team, if you help off Emily to guard Shannon, Emily is going to hurt you," Franzoni said. "If you help off Ali to guard Danielle [Racette], we know Ali can hurt you. That versatility and depth of having five good basketball players on the court makes a big difference."
Tatro has found her scoring touch in the postseason. Her regular season high was 11 points, which she scored twice. In Drury's win over South Hadley, she put up 13 points. Against Wahconah on Thursday, she hit a new high by scoring 14 points.
And don't forget about Racette. The starting point guard averages four rebounds to go along with her 10 points and six assists. It hasn't just been the starters who have contributed rebounds and points. Amber Iacuessa, Megan Benoit, Kasha Wissman, Mackenzie Bona and Olivia Carlson have also made big contributions to the team this year.
"We know our bench is very deep," Moulton said. "We can pull off anybody and anybody can get the job done for us. We don't rely on one player, we rely on all 10 or 15 or however many we have on the bench that night."
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