KUA Sweeps Trio of NEPSAC Tournament Home Games

Mouse Williams ’25 scored a game-high 26 points, including two clutch free throws with eight seconds remaining, to help lift the third-ranked Wildcats past the sixth-seeded Hoggers on Wednesday.

NMH was called for foul away from the basket with eight seconds left and the score knotted at 68-68, sending Williams to the line for the second time in just 20 seconds for a make-or-break 1-and-1. And just as he’d done previously, Williams sank a pair of free throws to give the home team a lead it wouldn’t surrender.

“Mouse has just been that reliable, really forever,” KUA boys’ varsity basketball head coach Cory McClure said. “He's just unflappable. It’s a different level of maturity with that kid. He and Brandon (Arnold) have really taken on a huge leadership role over the past six or seven weeks, and they both had some big buckets when we needed them.”

KUA surrendered an uncharacteristic five turnovers and was outshot 5-3 from beyond the arc in the first half and headed into the break trailing by nine. But the Wildcats turned the tables over the game’s final 18 minutes, outscoring their opponent 44-33 with help from five threes and a 7-for-8 effort from the free throw line.

Williams finished with four three-pointers on his way to his 26-point night, while Zay Henderson ’25 (17 points) and Brandon Arnold ’25 (eight points) each hit a pair. Bigman Merrick Smith ’26 also scored in double figures for KUA, finishing with 10 points to complement his team-high nine rebounds.

Up next for the Wildcats will be Saturday’s semifinal against No. 2 CATS Academy in Boston at 2 p.m. Until then, McClure said his team will work to tie up a few loose ends on the court before shifting his focus elsewhere.

“Some of the turnovers we had tonight I thought were unforced, and we’ve got to do a better job finishing possessions,” McClure said. “But other than that, it’s just about getting them to believe.”

The KUA girls’ varsity basketball team looked every bit its No. 1 seed Wednesday, surrendering just one field goal in both the first and fourth quarters of its victory over a shorthanded Mavericks squad.

The Wildcats defended their way to a nine-point advantage after the opening frame and expanded that lead over each of the final-three quarters behind a relentless full-court press. KUA forced nine turnovers in the first half alone, with the vast majority leading to easy buckets in transition to the delight of the home crowd.

“It’s who we are,” KUA girls’ varsity basketball head coach Angelica Pascual said of her team’s defensive identity. “We pride ourselves in our man-to-man defense and our full-court pressure and I think that's what’s going to win us the game. We'll find ways to score, but defensively, that’s how we get it done.”

Offensively, it was a well-balanced effort for KUA who saw four players finish in double figures in the scoring column. Leila Portugal ’26, Zoe Pagan ’27, and Sophie Dupeyron ’28 each finished with 12 points for the Wildcats, followed by Lachlyn McCarthy ’28 with 11 points off the bench.

KUA will be back on its home court Saturday when it hosts fourth-ranked Kents Hill School in the semifinals at 1 p.m. Pascual said she’d like to see her team improve on a few things come its matchup against the Huskies — notably a 4-for-14 performance from the free throw line — but that otherwise, she likes where her team is at.

“Free throws are a big one for us. We need to hit our free throws,” Pascual said. “But in general, if we can minimize our turnovers and box out a little bit better, I think we’ll be fine.”

The top-ranked Wildcats scored two goals in a span of nine seconds on their way to a four-goal second period and a convincing victory over the eighth-seeded Highlanders on Wednesday.

KUA waited just 32 seconds into the decisive middle frame to break a 1-1 tie when Chris Watroba ’25 found Corwith Simmers ’25 in front of the net for what proved to be the game-winning tally. Then, just nine seconds later, it was Watroba who converted a pass from Iain Olsen ’25 for his first of two scores in the contest. Olsen made it a three-score game with his second goal later in the period, before Max Kimelman ’25 scored on an assist from Nasean Faria ’27 to make it 5-1 ahead of the second intermission.

Blake McMeniman ’25 stood his ground between the pipes for the Wildcats, turning aside 21 of the 22 shots he faced. The one goal he did surrender came on Highlanders powerplay early in the first period.

Coach Tim Whitehead’s team will look to extend its tournament run Saturday at 2 p.m. when it hosts fifth-ranked St. George’s School in the semifinals.