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01/22/2017 11:00 PMBoys’ Basketball
After taking a 66-55 loss to North Haven on Jan. 17, the Hand boys’ basketball bounced back to nab its first win of the year with a 58-48 victory versus Lyman Hall on Jan. 20. The Tigers are now 1-10 overall and 1-3 in the SCC Housatonic Division.
In the North Haven game, Brett Bilcheck scored eight points and had six assists for Hand, while Flynn Driscoll added eight points and seven boards, Tyler Boris netted eight points, and Kenny Ciotti scored 10.
Hand held a six-point lead with six minutes remaining in the third quarter, but turned the ball over 28 times on the night, and the Indians capitalized on their way to the victory.
Girls’ Basketball
Hand now stands at 10-2 following a pair of recent triumphs. The Tigers posted a 58-43 win over Lauralton Hall on Jan. 17 and then moved to 4-0 in the SCC Oronoque Division with a 51-41 victory versus Hillhouse on Jan. 20.
Against Lauralton Hall, Gabby Martin posted 27 points, seven steals, six rebounds, and four assists for the Tigers. Kaitlyn Martin racked up 11 points, 16 rebounds, and six steals, while Emma Sullivan chipped in eight points and five rebounds.
Lauralton Hall started off with a lot of energy as Hand struggled to find its shooting touch. Holding a two-point lead after one, the Crusaders looked to keep things close with an aggressive half-court defense. However, Gabby Martin proved too much for Lauralton as she posted seven points and three steals in the second quarter, helping Hand stretch its lead to 26-18 at the half. In the third, it was Kaitlyn Martin’s turn to do the heavy lifting. Martin put up seven points, six rebounds, and a pair of steals as the Tigers took a 37-28 lead into the final frame. The fourth quarter belonged to Gabby Martin, who scored 13 of her 27 points and went 6-for-6 from the charity stripe during the frame to finish off the visiting Crusaders.
“Lauralton Hall plays as hard as any team in the state, so we weren’t going to be fooled by their record. We knew they’d be in our faces for 32 minutes, so we needed to keep our composure if we wanted to get this win,” said Head Coach Tim Tredwell. “I thought Emma Sullivan hit some very timely jumpers. Kaitlyn Martin battled down low all night and just seemed to get to every rebound. And there’s not much more you can say about Gabby Martin. She made so many plays tonight that let everyone know she wasn’t going to let us lose. We’re very lucky she’s on our side.”
Facing Hillhouse, Gabby Martin totaled 15 points, six rebounds, five assists, and three steals. Gabby Egidio added 14 points and four assists. Sullivan chipped in nine points and four rebounds, plus Halle Freund racked up 10 rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two blocks for the Tigers.
Hand jumped out to a quick 10-1 lead that it never relinquished. Still, Hillhouse closed the first quarter on an 8-3 run to get the lead down to four after one. The Academics then used five offensive rebounds and a 5-of-6 performance from the foul line in the second quarter to draw within 24-20 at the break. Hand gained some separation in the third quarter as the Tigers forced seven turnovers, Egidio got out on the fast break for six points, Gabby Martin made a pair of threes, and Sullivan hit a three at the buzzer for 43-30 advantage entering the final frame. Hillhouse wouldn’t go away quietly, but the damage had been done as Hand left New Haven with a victory.
“Hillhouse is another team whose record is not indicative of what they’re capable of. They have a load of young talent and they always make their home court a difficult place to get a win,” said Tredwell. “Fortunately, we had enough in the tank to get the job done. We need to realize we’re going to get every team’s best shot every night and we have to be mentally prepared for it. So far, we’ve done a pretty good job of rising to the challenge.”
Wrestling
Hand took its second loss of the year with a 37-33 defeat to Foran on Jan. 18.
Scoring victories for the Tigers were Kyle Davern (106-pound weight class, pin at 2:10), Dylan Brochard (113, pin at 1:50), Mark Hartmann (120, pin at 3:27), Will Sobran (126, 7-5 decision), Adam Hendrick (170, pin at 1:38), and Mike Burchell (285, pin at 0:21).
Then at the Morgan Duals on Jan. 21, Hand raised its mark to 13-2 by winning the competition. The Tigers defeated Morgan (58-15), Westbrook (6-0), Montville (41-32), and Middletown (44-20) on their way to prevailing at the meet.
Boys’ Ice Hockey
Hand recorded its third victory of the year with a 3-2 win over St. Joseph on Jan. 16. Matt Rice scored all three goals for the Tigers, who led 2-0 after the first period.
“It was a very important win against a solid Division I team,” said Head Coach Ken Mitchell.
The Tigers later tied Conard 2-2 on Jan. 18 and took a 3-0 loss against Cheshire on Jan. 21 for an overall record of 3-6-1.
Girls’ Ice Hockey
The Tigers took a 6-1 loss to Hamden on Jan. 18 before playing to a scoreless draw against Simsbury on Jan. 21. Hand is 6-3-2 on the year.
Boys’ Swimming and Diving
Hand took a 96-90 defeat to Amity on Jan. 18, The team now owns a mark of 4-2 for the season.