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02/16/2019 11:00 PMYou can throw the records out the window when it comes playoff basketball, especially if the Hand girls’ basketball team is involved. In last week’s Southern Connecticut Conference Tournament, the 13th-seeded Tigers validated that notion by pulling off a 47-40 upset at Mercy in a first-round matchup on Feb. 14, marking Mercy’s earliest exit in the tourney since 2003. It was also only the third time since 2008 that a No. 13 seed earned a victory in the SCC Tournament.
Two days later, Hand dropped a 54-45 decision versus No. 5 seed Cross in the quarterfinal round at Sheehan High School. Despite the loss, the game still featured a bright spot for the young Tigers, who saw junior Sara Wohlgemuth score her 1,000th career point in the game. Hand is now 10-12 overall and will begin the Class L State Tournament with a first-round game on Monday, Feb. 25.
Head Coach Tim Tredwell said that while many pundits had Mercy prematurely advancing to the quarterfinals, the Tigers thrived on the SCC stage by displaying the heart that’s fueled them all season long.
“I think just about everyone outside of our locker room had penciled Mercy into the quarterfinals, and understandably so,” said Tredwell. “We’ve said all year, when it clicks, when we put it all together, we could be a very dangerous team.”
Freshman Brooke Salutari scored 25 points on an 8-of-14 shooting performance, including four 3-pointers, to go along with four steals and two rebounds in the Tigers’ victory versus Mercy. Wohlgemuth had nine points with five rebounds and two steals, while sophomore Julia Kuhn chipped in with five points, four steals, and three boards.
Hand came out firing and took an 18-8 lead after the first quarter. Salutari knocked down three shots from long range, and Wohlgemuth netted seven of her nine points during the period. Mercy started climbing back behind a couple of 3-pointers from Kameryn King and Lexi Leon during the second quarter, and went to the half down by seven.
The third quarter belonged to Salutari, who outscored Mercy 9-6 by herself to give the upset-minded Tigers a double-digit lead heading into the final frame. Mercy tried to mount one last charge, but Hand kept its cool, and hung on for the monumental victory.
“[Mercy] finished the year on an incredible run. They’re [ranked in the top 10] in the state, and they’re playing with a tremendous amount of confidence. Meanwhile, we were on a four-game skid and wondering if we would ever figure it out. Well, our kids figured it out,” Coach Tredwell said. “Our leaders stepped up huge the last couple days. [Senior] Anna Beccia, Summer, and Sara did an outstanding job setting the tone. Our younger players stepped up. Brooke was absolutely dynamite. I couldn’t be happier to be moving from the first round.”
Prior to SCCs, Hand took a 64-45 loss against Hamden on Feb. 11 to finish the regular season with a record of 9-11. Kuhn and junior Summer Adams led the Tigers by scoring nine points apiece in the defeat. Hamden was up by nine after the first quarter and increased its lead to 13 at halftime. The Tigers tried to chip away as Kuhn and Adams combined to score 13 of their 18 points in the frame, but they were never able to get the lead below double digits.
From the Sidelines
The Hand girls’ basketball team’s roster features senior Anna Beccia, juniors Sara Wohlgemuth and Summer Adams; sophomores Hadley Houghton, Julia Kuhn, Nataya Akers, and Maddison Thomas; and freshmen Reilly Dolan, Brook Salutari, and Sophia Coppola.
The Tigers finished with a record of 4-4 in the SCC Housatonic Division during the regular season.
The first round of the Class L State Tournament is on Monday, Feb. 25. The second round will be held on Thursday, Feb. 28; the quarterfinals take place on Monday, March 4; the semifinals are on Friday, March 8; and Class L state final will be held at Mohegan Sun Arena on either Saturday, March 16 or Sunday, March 17.