Cony’s Abby Morrill drives to the hoop by Lawrence’s Ashley Shores at the Capital City Hoop Classic on Dec. 27 at the Augusta Civic Center. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

AUGUSTA — What it lacks in numbers the Cony girls basketball team makes up for in heart.

And the player who provides that heart’s beat is junior guard Abby Morrill. 

“She has a really big role in our team,” said Cony senior Morgan Cunningham. “She does so much for us. She works really hard. She’s been having a bit of a tough time (late in the season), but we’ve all been uplifting her. I think she’s a really valuable player on our team.”

Morrill wears many hats for the third-seeded Rams, who will meet No. 1 Lawrence in the Class A North final Friday night at 6 at the Augusta Civic Center. She’s not always called upon to be the team’s leading scorer or its top rebounder, but she can be.

More importantly, as Wednesday afternoon’s mild upset of No. 2 Hampden Academy in the regional semifinals proved, she does so many of the little things that all add up in the end. Morrill ended up as Cony’s leading scorer with 15 points in the win over the Broncos.

But it was her six rebounds, the tipped passes and outright steals, and all the turnovers she collected by diving on the floor for loose balls which added up to a dominant individual performance.

Just like a human heart, you might not always hear its beat or pause to marvel at the work it’s doing for you — but without it functioning at a high level, the whole system breaks down.

That’s Abby Morrill’s own role in a nutshell.

Hampden Academy’s Lucy Wiles, left, (10) and Destiny Mooers (31) chase Cony’s Abby Morrill during a Class A North girls basketball semifinal game Wednesday at the Augusta Civic Center. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

“She’s unbelievable on the basketball court,” Cony head coach Dennett said. “She does it all for us. People don’t realize it. Her points were a little bit down this year, but we added (Morgan) Fichthorn and we added (Cassie) Lacroix, and they take some points and some shots away from her.

“But her basketball skills and her IQ and everything else she does for us, it’s impeccable. She’s just incredible.”

The matchup with the Broncos delved into a old-school basketball matchup, reminiscent of a late-1980s NBA battle between the Pistons and Lakers. It was physical, every possession tightly contested, and it was in that setting that Morrill set herself apart.

That’s not unusual, according to Dennett.

“She thrives in those situations,” Dennett said. “She’s got a quick first step, and she’s strong with the ball. She’s just a great player.”

The Rams regional final appearance is their first in 11 years. Two years ago, Cony lost in the quarterfinals and last season the Rams didn’t make it out of the semis.

Morrill, reticent to talk about herself, was succinct in describing what the date with the Bulldogs represents for this year’s team.

“It’s huge for us. It’s huge for our program,” Morrill said. “The seniors have been working at this for a long time, and they’re the ones that really deserve this.”

A freshman when basketball resumed following the lost Covid season of 2020-2021, Morrill has been a fixture in the Rams’ resurgence.

More importantly, she’s done so without the luxury of recovery time. Cony uses a rotation of only six players, so Morrill isn’t granted four- to five-minute stretches on the bench to rest for second-half scenarios.

Still, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“This has been great,” Morrill said. “This is a great feeling. I’m super-proud of all us for getting here.”

Her teammates have taken notice.

“She shows up when we need her,” Cunningham said.