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04/07/2018 12:00 AMThe Hand girls’ basketball team entered the 2017-’18 campaign with big expectations after winning a state championship last year. The Tigers also lost several key players to graduation, meaning some of the team’s younger athletes had to step up this season. However, when the dust settled, Hand once again proved why it’s one of the top squads in both the SCC and the state on a yearly basis.
Head Coach Tim Tredwell and the Tigers began the year as the defending Class L state champions, although they saw a tremendous trio graduate from that group. Still, Hand marched on and notched a 17-3 regular-season record on route to capturing its fifth consecutive division crown. In the SCC Tournament, the Tigers defeated Cheshire (66-37) and Cross (64-62) in the first two rounds, before taking a 56-55 defeat to eventual Class M state champion East Haven in the semis.
Then in the Class L State Tournament, the 4th-seeded Tigers took down No. 29 Avon (55-41), No. 13 Bassick (64-53), and No. 12 Law (84-53) to reach the semifinal round, where they dropped a 59-40 decision to No. 1 seed RHAM to finish the season at 22-5 overall.
“This team faced a real uphill battle this season. While we returned five experienced players from a state championship team, we lost three starters, including an All-State point guard. We also had six first-year players on the roster, which meant if we were going to be successful, the older players were going to have to be leaders, and the younger players were going to have to grow up fast,” Coach Tredwell said. “Not only were those younger players going to have to learn how we do things and what was expected, some of them needed to be able to contribute in varsity games right away and, with the schedule we play, that was not going to be an easy task.”
Tredwell felt that his team needed “to be midseason form almost immediately” this year, and he commended the Tigers for their uncanny ability to keep moving forward as their veterans and newer players meshed.
“Our seniors embraced a take-charge role, and our younger players improved daily,” Tredwell said. “Because of everyone’s ability to do what’s best for the team, we were able to put together another nice postseason run.”
Hand featured four seniors the forefront of its leadership movement this year. The Tigers’ senior captains were guards Gabby Egidio, who averaged 15 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.5 steals per game; and team MVP Emma Sullivan, who posted averages of 11.2 points, 3.4 assists, 2.5 steals a game; while forward and Defensive Player of the Year recipient Hannah Martin and center Halle Freund (7.7 boards and 3 blocks per contest) were also key seniors for the team. Coach Tredwell said each senior brought the veteran savvy, fearlessness, and team-first mentality that the Tigers needed to reach the 22-win plateau.
“Gabby was a captain, a scorer, an emotional leader, a source of energy on defense, and she was someone I could always count on to give me a good read on the team. Emma wasn’t the vocal leader, but set the tone by coming to work every day and just producing,” said Tredwell. “Hannah was tasked with being our defensive stopper, knowing she had the toughness to guard bigger players and the quickness to handle guards. Halle developed into one of the premier paint protectors in the league. She really earned her money on defense, where her ability to rebound and block shots forced many teams to adjust their game-plans.”
Sophomore guard Sara Wohlgemuth, who made 40 three-pointers while averaging 17 points, five rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 2.3 steals per game, was named to the All-State Team, the All-SCC First Team, along with the All-Area teams for the New Haven Tap-Off Club and New Haven Register. Egidio was also named to both All-Area squads, in addition to making All-SCC First Team. Freund was selected to All-SCC Second Team.
Of course, Hand’s ride to the semis of the Conference and State tournaments was no pleasure cruise. Coach Tredwell recalled many highs and lows that tested the Tigers throughout their deep postseason push.
“We were down 15 with a minute to go in the third quarter against Career at home, but won by three. That game showed a toughness and resilience that I’m sure nobody thought we had,” he said. “Already dealing with a flu bug that was picking our team off one by one, Halle reached for a steal in the first minute of the game [against North Haven] and broke a bone in her right hand, putting the rest of her season in doubt. While it was difficult to adjust, the experience gave our younger players confidence which benefit us in the postseason and will continue paying dividends in the future.”
While looking at how the program has progressed during his tenure, Tredwell said that winning another division title and reaching a pair of Final Fours in one winter exemplifies just how far the Tigers have come.
“When I first took over this program, Hand had won two division titles in the history of the SCC. With the quality of our conference, I think it’s a really special accomplishment to go on that type of run, and it’s something we don’t take for granted,” said Tredwell. “While we were all disappointed in how our season ended, it’s important to reflect on exactly what we accomplished this season. We finished 22-5 with four of those losses coming to the top three teams in state [LL champ Mercy, L champ RHAM, and M winner East Haven].”
The Tigers will have rebuild a little more next year, but they’re ready to do so with a talented returning cast that includes Wohlgemuth, freshman guard and Most Improved Player Julia Kuhn, junior forward Anna Beccia, sophomore forward Summer Adams, freshman center Maddie Thomas, and freshman guard Grace Hartmann. Even though Hand didn’t finish this season with the state title plaque in its clutches, Coach Tredwell feels the Tigers put the pieces in place to complete the championship puzzle next year.
“They know that teams are made from November to March, but players are made from March to November. Our roster takes a huge hit, graduating four starters and the bulk of our scoring. But we return several players like who earned valuable experience during another deep playoff run,” said Tredwell. “We took a team with more underclassmen than upperclassmen and came within one win of going back to Mohegan Sun. These kids are hungry for more, and that’s because of the culture we now have in place. Those high expectations will hopefully push us in the offseason to be right back in the mix next year.”
From the Sidelines
Tim Tredwell completed his ninth season as the head coach of the Hand girls’ basketball squad. The assistant coaches for the Tigers this year were JV coach Kristina Ciotto and freshman coach Cynthia Morgan.
The Tigers claimed the SCC Oronoque Division title for the second straight year with an 8-0 divisional mark.
In the regular season, Hand’s victories came against Weaver (72-32), Career (68-65 and 60-57), Thomaston (44-23), Lyman Hall (69-34 and 67-47), Guilford (57-30 and 75-60), Waterford (67-33), North Haven (63-41 and 47-31), Law (46-36 and 59-18), Lauralton Hall (51-26 and 52-28), and Hillhouse (79-58 and 71-68).