WESTHAMPTON — The South Hadley girls basketball team held on to its undefeated season by defeating Central League rival Hampshire Regional, 53-44, Monday night.
Strong defense allowed the Tigers (13-0, 5-0) to get off to a fast start, outscoring the Raiders (12-4, 3-2) 12-8 in the first quarter.
“We knew it was going to be a hard game because Hampshire is a really good team,” said junior guard Abby Edge. “It was a good game.”
A huge block from Hampshire forward Katy O’Connor halfway through the second quarter sparked the Raiders’ offense.
The Tigers did not have an answer to the momentum change, fouling the Raiders three times. Hampshire made 4 of 6 free throws to finish of the first half tied at 26.
“We have so much respect for Hampshire,” said South Hadley coach Paul Dubuc. “Katy O’Connor is very, very tough. They don’t stop moving. They play hard.”
The Hampshire fans brought high energy to the second half, cheering on their team to its first lead of the game with 10 second remaining in the third quarter. However, the score remained tied, 36-36, going into the fourth.
“It got really nerve-wracking because they were up by one,” said Edge. “We really focused on working together as a team and focusing on our skill work and being smart.”
O’Connor’s aggressiveness in the paint was an even match with South Hadley’s parameter shooting. With just under five minutes to play, Hampshire called timeout following Marley Medina’s 3-pointer to give the Tigers a 43-42 lead.
Following the break, South Hadley pulled away by scoring eight points in the final two minutes.
“I think that really helped us take the lead in the fourth quarter,” said Edge. “We really know how to work together as a team and slow the ball down if we need to.”
The Raiders were unable to break the Tigers’ defense. They were held to just two points during the final five minutes of the game.
Mikhaila Edge, Abby’s twin, finished with 12 points. Sophie Gatzounas finished with a team-leading 14 points.
“We know now that we can go into other people’s gym and compete and play well,” said Dubuc. “Six of our last eight games are on the road, so we have to be able to play on the road.”
The motto in the locker room is to play well every game and continue working hard. The ultimate goal is to win the Western Mass title.
“We just work so hard all the time and we really are striving for Western Mass., but first we have to start with the league champions,” said Edge. “Our coach always says it’s a marathon so we just have to keep fighting and fighting.”