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12/17/2016 11:00 PMHow do you top a campaign that saw your program capture its first conference title, win 20-plus games, and reach the Elite Eight of states for the second year in a row? Well, if you’re the Hand girls’ basketball team, you set the bar for success even higher.
Head Coach Tim Tredwell and the Tigers won the Hammonasset Division title and then beat Mercy to claim their first SCC Tournament championship last winter. As the No. 7 seed in the Class L State Tournament, Hand defeated Fitch and Wethersfield before taking a quarterfinal defeat to New London to finish at 22-5 overall. This season, the Tigers are aiming to get even further down the state playoff road, but they want to do so without looking too much at all the twists and turns that lie ahead.
“After seven straight years of increasing win totals, we certainly don’t want to take a step backwards. As always, our goal is to play present, to stay focused in the moment, and not get ahead of ourselves,” Coach Tredwell said. “If we can stay process-oriented, the results will take care of themselves.”
The Tigers started their year with 53-42 win at Mercy, the No. 3 ranked team in the state, in a SCC Tournament final rematch on Dec. 16. Junior Emma Sullivan led four Tigers in double figures with 13 points and she also grabbed six rebounds with a pair of steals. Senior Gabby Martin racked up 12 points, four assists, four rebounds, and three steals for Hand, while senior Kaitlyn Martin added 10 points with four rebounds. Junior Gabby Egidio chipped in 12 points and fellow junior Halle Freund grabbed nine boards.
Hand jumped out to an early 8-1 lead by using its speed and athleticism to create problems for Mercy. Down 11-7 after one, Mercy slowly clawed its way back in as Hand’s aggressive attack got the host Tigers to the foul line early and often. However, Egidio’s six second quarter points stretched Hand’s lead to 22-12 at the half.
The third quarter belonged to Mercy as Sam Chapps found her shooting stroke with a pair of threes and Megan Deville took over the paint with six points on her way to a game-high 16. Mercy ended the third down just 36-30. Mercy began the fourth quarter on a 6-2 run to get the lead down to two, but Hand refused to fold. The Tigers shook off a poor performance at the foul line by going 10-of-12 down the stretch to finish off the upset and open the season with a win.
“This was a great way to open the season. To win a tough game against one of the best programs in the state speaks volumes about our kids and how hard they’ve worked to get to this point,” said Tredwell. “Our energy on defense was spectacular. We were intelligently aggressive on the offensive end. And I love the fact that everyone had a hand in it—four players scoring in double figures, Halle Freund hitting the boards hard against a much bigger lineup, Colleen Caruth battling Megan Deville all night, Sara Wohlgemuth stepping in and showing remarkable maturity running the point, Hannah Martin playing solid team defense, and our bench having great energy for 32 minutes. It was a total team effort and something these guys would be very proud of.”
In the backcourt this season, the Tigers will be led by senior tri-captain guard Martin, who comes off a 2015-’16 run that saw her net SCC Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors. In the front court, a pair of senior forwards in Caruth and Martin round out the captain’s helm and form a tandem that adds points to the paint, while flushing them out on the defensive end.
“Gabby Martin is a three-year starter who has the experience, leadership, and the kind of speed that’s capable of dominating every inch of the court,” said Tredwell. “Kaitlyn Martin is a two-year starter with tremendous athleticism and an inexhaustible work ethic, as well as the ability to post big numbers. Colleen Caruth is a two-year starter, remarkable toughness to the trenches, and the ability to step out and stretch the defense.”
Complementing those athletes on the court will be a deep junior class that features guards Egidio and Sullivan, plus forwards Freund and Hannah Martin. Additionally, freshman guard Wohlgemuth looks to add a rookie spark right from jump.
“Gabby Egidio brings explosive speed with a nose for the basket and game-changing defensive intensity. Halle Freund presents a scoring threat in the post and ability to control the paint defensively,” said Tredwell. “Emma Sullivan is a sneaky defender that keeps a steady hand on offense. Hannah Sullivan provides solid defense and shot-making ability. Sara Wohlgemuth is showing the skills and toughness to contribute right away.”
It’s a year of realignment in the SCC and so the Tigers will be in the Oronoque Division with the likes of familiar former Hammonasset Division foes Law and Hillhouse, along with Lyman Hall and North Haven. Hand will also test itself against fellow league heavyweights Mercy, Career, and Lauralton Hall, as well as main rival Guilford and some stellar non-conference competition.
“Every night in the SCC is a key matchup. With Mercy, Career, and Lauralton Hall all on the schedule twice, we will have to be locked in if we want to prove we belong among the elites. Rivalry games against Guilford are always noted on the calendar, as well as divisional games against Hillhouse, Law, Lyman Hall and North Haven,” said Tredwell. “We also will be returning to the Notre Dame-Fairfield Holiday Tournament, which features New London and Thomaston—a field in which three of the four teams went to the state finals last year. This will be a great way to see how we stack up against quality programs. I think we’re very capable of having a lot of fun this season. Again, if we’re able to stay focused on the task at hand and never let the moment get away from us, we should be very successful.”
From the Sidelines
Tim Tredwell returns for his eighth season as head coach of the Tigers and holds a record of 104-62 entering this season.
Assistant coaches on the bench for Hand this winter will be JV coach Kristina Ciotto, who returns after previously serving as freshman coach in the 2012-’13 season, plus new freshman coach Cynthia Morgan.
Sitting at 3-3 on Dec. 30 of last year, Hand won 19 of its next 21 contests, including postseason play, with the lone blemishes coming to Mercy on Jan. 27 and then in the Class L State Tournament quarterfinals against New London.