Sports
Caswell, Crusaders Get Their Title vs. Mount
Behind 20 points from senior Emily Caswell and the defense of senior Jordan Oswinkle The Prout School captured the Division II State Title with a 16-point win over Mount St. Charles.
KINGSTON — For the last three years senior Emily Caswell and The Prout School have come up short in their bid for a Division-II Championship.
“We’ve been predicted to win in the past and didn’t do it,” Caswell said. “It was so unexpected because I didn’t think that we were going to be able to do it this year.”
On Saturday afternoon at the Ryan Center, Caswell and the Crusaders would not be denied a fourth time as they defeated Mount St. Charles Academy 40-24.
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“It’s a nice feeling, me and Emily have been working on this for four years to come up short multiple times, so now we’re the state champs and it’s a great way to end up my senior year,” senior Jordan Oswinkle said.
“This was probably one of the best days in sports of my life, this is an exciting day and I don’t think I’ll ever forget it,” Caswell added.
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Prout, as they have been all season, were led by the senior captains Oswinkle and Caswell.
“Emily and Jordan bought into what we’ve been doing for years and have passed along what they other kids bought into too, and given to these kids as well,” Quinn said.
The Crusaders defense was as stifling as a quick glance at the final score would indicate, led by the shot blocking ability of Oswinkle.
“Our defense has won probably all of our games. We step up, we help each other when we lose girls, we’re there for blocks,” Oswinkle said. “It’s a great feeling to play defense in our last game and know that helped hold a great team to 24 points.”
Oswinkle finished the game with five blocks, two of which came on back-to-back possessions of Mount senior Maria Saia to start the game. Saia had problems with Oswinkles length, as many have throughout the season, ultimately finishing with just nine points.
“She [Saia] is one of the best post players in the state and Jordan just didn’t make it easy for her,” Prout head coach Phil Quinn said. “Jordan is long, athletic and her body really helps her because she’s not going to hit you low, which makes it easy to block shots.”
As important as Oswinkle was to the Prout defense, Caswell was equally, if not more important to the Crusaders’ offense. Caswell scored 14 of her team’s 25 points in the second half on her way to a game-high 20.
“This was a team effort, because if I didn’t have my teammates looking for me out there, setting me screens and everything like that this wouldn’t have been possible,” Caswell said.
Prout led the entire game, jumping out to a 6-0 lead on buckets from Caswell, freshman Maddie Hagerty and sophomore Tori Jedson.
The Crusaders pushed their advantage to 11-2 with 8:33 remaining in the first half, but the Mounties were able to cut the deficit to three with 3:47 left behind two points each from Saia, senior Nicole Grinsell and senior Alyssa Rossi.
That is as close as Mount would get, however, as the Crusaders would pull away throughout the second half behind Caswell and Oswinkle.
“They’re a tough team and that’s why they are where they are,” Mount head coach Nina Morey said. “Our offense did not materialize, our game plan didn’t work, their game plan worked, so kudos to them.”
Caswell was named the Tournament’s Most Valuable Player in a ceremony at center court after the game, while Oswinkle, Jedson and Caswell were each named to the All-Tournament Team.
“Everyone on this team is just so talented, I mean Emily’s obviously a great player, Tori, our entire team is just amazing,” Oswinkle said. “I don’t think that we could have done it without every player on this team.”
Saia and senior Adriana Maurano were also named to the All-Tournament Team for the Mounties, who lost for just the second time all season Saturday.
The day ultimately belonged to the Crusaders, and particularly Quinn, Oswinkle and Caswell, whom had spent the past few years together working towards a title.
“I’m going to miss her and Jordan a ton,” Quinn said. “Emily is a player program changer, but without Jordan’s defense, without Jordan’s leadership, Emily would have just been the leading scorer in the state and we would be watching here today.”
GIRLS BASKETBALL—DIVISION-II FINALS
Prout 40, Mount St. Charles 24
PROUT (40): Caswell 5 9-10 20, Jedson 3 0-0 7, Hagerty 3 1-1 7, Oswinkle 0 2-4 2, Donovan 1 2-3 4; totals 12 14-18 40.
MOUNT ST. CHARLES (24): Saia 4 1-3 9, Rossi 2 2-4 6, Mallon 1 0-4 2, Mulledy 1 0-0 2, Grinsell 1 0-0 2, Messier 1 0-0 2, Maurano 0 1-2 1; totals 10 4-15 24.
Halftime: P 15-8. 3-pointers: P, 2 (Caswell, Jedson); M, none. Fouled out: none.
2011 DIVISION-II ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Rogers — Tia Cromwell, SR
Mount St. Charles — Adriana Maurano, SR
Mount St. Charles — Maria Saia, SR
Prout — Jordan Oswinkle, SR
Prout — Tori Jedson, SO
2011 FINALS PLAYER OF THE GAME—MOUNT ST. CHARLES
Maria Saia, SR
2011 FINALS PLAYER OF THE GAME—THE PROUT SCHOOL
Emily Caswell, SR
2011 D-II TOURNAMENT MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Emily Caswell, SR
