For the past five seasons, the Concord Christian girls’ basketball team has displayed a consistency for winning.
The No. 1 Kingsmen girls’ team (19-1) booked a spot in the semifinals with yet another win at home against No. 8 Bishop Guertin (12-8) on Thursday night, 52-34.
Senior guard Emma Smith led the charge on offense again with a monster, 27-point performance. She opened the game by drilling multiple three-pointers and scoring in the paint.
“I just take whatever the defense gives me,” she said. “If they give me a three, I’m going to take a three.”
Freshman guard Brynn Valliant backed up Smith with two threes of her own, and the Kingsmen were off to the races. Valliant finished the night with 15 points.
Kingsmen senior Emma Smith elevates to score in the fourth quarter and reach her team-leading 27-points. Credit: ALEXANDER RAPP / Monitor 
Concord Christian’s freshman guard Brynn Valliant (33) sinks a free throw in a win against Bishop Guertin in the D-I quarterfinals. Credit: ALEXANDER RAPP / Monitor 
Concord Christian’s freshman guard Brynn Valliant carries the ball into the paint as the Kingsmen rotated to breakdown BG’s zone defense. Credit: ALEXANDER RAPP / Monitor 
Senior Emma Smith drives into the paint to kick the ball out to the perimeter for an open three in the second quarter against Bishop Guertin. Credit: ALEXANDER RAPP / Monitor
Bishop Guertin responded with nine points in the first quarter and a pair of threes in the second quarter by seniors Thalia Drapeau and Olivia Baker to bring the score to 21-17.
Drapeau and Baker finished the night as BG’s top scorers with 11 and 13 points.
After that, the Kingsmen didn’t let the Cardinals get any closer.
It’s no surprise this team has found so much success. The program defeated swaths of competition, from D-IV to D-II, as its seniors developed. Its younger players are now in their second season of playing against the top teams in the state.
“We have to keep playing hard and after a team goes on a run just get back and play defense,” Valliant said post-game.
Throughout it all, their play style has remained consistent, and the system has worked time and time again.
The team was efficient at moving the basketball after some mishaps in the first half and shut down the Cardinals’ offense in the third quarter.
Senior forward Sophia Capsalis, senior Kate Smith and junior Abby Lash all got blocks that frustrated the trailing BG team.
Head Coach Matt Smith attributed the win to all-around solid play by the team and making the right adjustments at halftime.
He has coached his team to prepare for the ins and outs of any opponent, and tactically, they know how to execute. Staying engaged mentally will be key, he said.
“They understand where we’re at in the season and that every possession matters,” Smith said. “As long as they play to their full maximum effort, I like our chances.”
The Kingsmen will face the winner of No. 4 Nashua South and No. 5 Exeter, which was postponed until Friday night, on Monday, March 9 at 7:30 p.m.
“We need to stay confident in ourselves and stay positive with each other,” Emma Smith said on her team’s mentality going into the semis. “We need to play our style of basketball.”