Waterford - The accumulation of pure athletic talent among the members of the Waterford High School girls' basketball team has been enough to fuel many of the other sports at the school over the seasons, too.

There's all-state soccer player Claire Hurley, also the MVP of the state championship softball game her freshman season, when the Lancers won the Class M title. There's volleyball's Vanessa Kobyluck: two straight state semifinals. There's rising sophomore basketball aficionado Mia Brennan.

But you'll notice they all look up to the team's lone senior, Sarah Pacheco.

"Sarah is the best captain," Waterford coach Ed Kolnaski said after a Class M state tournament victory Friday night landed his team in the quarterfinals. "She leads by example. The kids all love her. She's quiet … but she never gets flustered. She gets knocked down or her shot blocked, she comes back and battles. She's a great leader."

Pacheco finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds to help lift Waterford past Montville 51-32 Friday, scoring six points in the first quarter, including a 3-pointer, that helped the Lancers settle into a matchup which was close during a pair of regular-season matchups within the Eastern Connecticut Conference Medium Division.

No. 12 Waterford (17-7) will play in the quarterfinals Tuesday at No. 4 Cromwell. Cromwell defeated Stonington in another second-round game Friday.

Kazi Walker added 12 points for Waterford against Montville and Hurley and Brennan added eight apiece, adding to Pacheco's team-leading total. Pacheco also plays volleyball and softball for the Lancers.

You only had to be in attendance at Pacheco's senior night basketball game this season against New London to see the affection the Waterford players have for Pacheco, whom they refer to as "Paco." They named the festivities "Paco Night," and distributed cardboard cutouts of her face to brandish while she was being introduced.

"They all made sure we were doing something good," Kolnaski said of his players. "They all look up to her."

Pacheco is undersized as a 5-foot-8 forward, but somehow finds her way inside.

"Just her spirit and the way she carries herself," Hurley, a junior, said. "She's unselfish. That's what makes her so successful. … (On senior night), we wanted to make it so special for her because we know what kind of person she is."

The Lancers defeated Montville 46-43 on Jan. 21 and 50-45 in overtime on Feb. 3.

Montville coach Derek Wainwright said Friday that Waterford came in with a different intensity and defensive pressure than it did the first two times.

"We didn't get into maybe five offensive sets the whole first half. Our guards got a little bit flustered. Mentally, they took us out of the game," said Wainwright, whose team finished 10-13.

Wainwright said, however, that he appreciated his team's efforts this season, which included a trip to Florida for a pair of games over Christmas break. Senior Taylor LaVallie finished with 12 points against Waterford.

"We went through a season with no problems," Wainwright said. "It's just a good group of kids. I'm going to miss this group of seniors."

Meanwhile, Waterford heads to the quarterfinals just two years removed from a 4-16 season. This group of Lancers has been to the quarters in several other sports.

"I think it's a great opportunity," Hurley said. "We all played together when we were little kids. Now we're in the quarters. The whole team is just so excited, so excited, beyond happy. We were all in the locker room jumping around."

v.fulkerson@theday.com

Twitter: @vickieattheday