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02/22/2017 11:00 PMFor the third straight year, Hand and Mercy tipped off in the battle for SCC girls’ basketball supremacy. Although the Tigers were unable to walk away from the third chapter with another conference crown, they still showed why they’re a program that’s poised to play on the big stage by never relenting until the final horn.
Hand, the defending SCC champion and top seed in this year’s tournament, took on No. 2 seed Mercy in the championship game for third year in a row on Feb. 22. After splitting the previous two SCC finals, Mercy came out on top this time around by notching a 49-39 victory at East Haven High School. Hand went to halftime up 21-16, but then Mercy started turning the momentum with an 8-0 run to begin the third quarter. Mercy also used a 12-0 spurt in the fourth to outscore Hand 33-18 in the second half en route to its fourth conference crown.
“They were able to get to the rim and it felt like we only hit about two shots,” said Hand’s Head Coach Tim Tredwell on the second half. “We weren’t making the small passes that we needed to make. The girls stayed aggressive all game long, though, but we just couldn’t finish.”
Gabby Martin led Hand’s scoring with 15 points, while fellow senior Kaitlyn Martin added six. Junior Halle Freund netted five points, plus juniors Gabby Egidio and Emma Sullivan contributed three points apiece. Coach Tredwell said that Mercy was efficient with shutting down the Tigers’ typically strong scoring attack.
“It’s not like we lost to the little sisters of the poor. They’ve been to five straight SCC finals. We came in averaging 59 points a game and we were not hitting shots,” said Tredwell, whose team is 19-4. “Our team has been remarkable with maintaining composure, but when we weren’t making those shots in the third, you could see them get a bit antsy.”
Kaitlyn Martin started the scoring for Hand with a two from the corner and the hometown Tigers were playing strong defense early as Mercy (20-3) was unable to hit its shots coming out of the starting gate. A bucket from junior Hannah Martin put Hand up 8-2 with 3:40 to play in the opening period, but then Mercy netted the final two baskets of the frame to make it 8-6.
Mercy kept it a two-point game at 11-9 on a three-pointer 90 seconds into the second period. Hand freshman Sara Wohlgemuth launched one home off the backboard and then hit another basket a minute later to put Hand up 17-13. A steal and ensuing lay-up by Gabby Martin gave Hand a five-point edge with 65 ticks left before the break. Hand preserved that advantage for the rest of the half and went to the locker room up 21-16.
A pair of Mercy baskets, followed by a shot from beyond the three-point arc, gave it its first lead of the game at 23-21 with 5:08 remaining in the third. After Hand ended Mercy’s 8-0 run, Sullivan drained a three to tie things at 26 with 1:40 to play in the period. The two sides traded points off free throws for the rest of the frame and the game went to the fourth with Mercy leading 30-28.
Ahead 32-30 with 6:25 to go in the contest. Mercy started pulling away by going on a 12-0 run to lead 44-30 with 1:58 left. Hand kept on coming and hit a few baskets down the stretch, but it wasn’t enough, as Mercy walked off the court with a 10-point win and the SCC title.
“Our defense and energy were great, but when we couldn’t capitalize on offense, we had the inevitable letdown,” said Tread well. “Mercy deserves this one. They beat us.”
Despite the disappointing defeat, Coach Tredwell remembered a time when Hand was simply satisfied with advancing to the conference semis. Now, a few years later, the Tigers have greater aspirations after achieving some notable feats that have earned them the respect of Mercy, as well as many other teams around the SCC and the state.
“Three years ago, we lost in the SCC semis by nine and we thought it was awesome. I said to them after that game that next year we would be in the final,” said Tredwell. “Obviously, they are crushed after this loss, but making three straight finals is indicative of all their hard work. The program has changed and our focus is great. This senior class went 18-7 as freshmen, but that’s the worst [single-season record] they’ll have for their careers. We played a great two-and-a-half games in this tournament and there is mutual respect between us and Mercy. We’ve earned a seat at the adult’s table, which is great.”
The Tigers had punched their ticket to the SCC final by posting a 72-43 win over No. 5 Hamden in the semis at Law High School in Milford on Feb. 20. Gabby Martin led four Tigers in double figures with 21 points to go with nine rebounds, six assists, and four steals. Freund added 12 points and seven rebounds. Egidio chipped in with 11 points, six rebounds, and three assists. Wohlgemuth posted 10 points with all of them coming in the second half. Hand out-rebounded the Green Dragons 44-36 and forced them into 22 turnovers.
Hamden looked to set the tone early by scoring the first nine points of the game. However, Hand settled in and ended the quarter on a 15-2 run, led by Gabby Martin’s nine first quarter points, to take a 21-11 lead into the second. Hand spread out the scoring in the second quarter by putting five different players in the book, while also using a stingy zone defense to outscore Hamden 16-7 for a 37-18 lead at halftime. Hamden’s transition game came alive in the third as it scored the first four points of the second half. Still, Hand continued to spread the ball around and come up with stops when it needed to take a 51-32 lead into the fourth. The Tigers didn’t back off in the final period as Wohlgemuth attacked the hoop for six of her 10 second-half points, while Hand knocked down seven of its eight foul shots to close out the Green Dragons.
Next up, the Tigers are the No. 2 seed in the Class L State Tournament and get started by hosting SCC foe and No. 31 seed Law (5-15) on Monday, Feb. 27 in the first round. With a win, Hand would host the winner of Windsor and Immaculate on Thursday, March 2. The Tigers have already defeated Law twice this season, but regardless of who his team is playing or the previous outcomes, Coach Tredwell knows that Hand has to stay in the moment if it wants to make a deep run in states.
“We’ve seen Law twice this year and beaten them twice, but we also beat Mercy twice in the regular season, and saw how well that worked out,” said Tredwell. “Law has nothing to lose, so they will pull out all the stops. We have to be prepared. Our draw is favorable, but all that matters is the next game.”
From the Sidelines
Gabby Egidio and Gabby Martin made the All-SCC First Team for Hand this season.
In the previous two SCC Tournament finals, Hand defeated Mercy 48-46 last year and Mercy bested Hand 57-52 in 2015.
The Tigers beat Mercy in the regular season by a 53-42 final on Dec. 16 and by a 55-44 score on Jan. 23.
For the remaining schedule of the Class L State Tournament, the quarterfinals take place on Monday, March 6; the semifinals on Friday, March 10; and the final is at Mohegan Sun Arena on either Saturday, March 18 or Sunday, March 19.