HADLEY — When the Hopkins Academy girls basketball team played its first round game in the Division 4 Western Massachusetts Tournament Tuesday, it had to make major adjustments from the outset.
Players were missing.
Fielding a roster that was young enough to be a JV team, the No. 8 Golden Hawks lost to No. 9 Putnam 53-48.
“We are so young,” Hopkins coach Fred Ciaglo said. “The sky is the limit. I thought we were going to do it at the end.
Playing without her older sister Allison, sophomore Samantha Jenks scored 23 points with eight rebounds and five steals.
Facing a 51-41 deficit with 2 minutes 10 seconds left, Jenks led a charge that almost won the game for the Golden Hawks.
“I was just trying to get back in the game,” Jenks said. “I wanted to do it for my team and myself. I also wanted to make the next game for my sister.”
After a steal and a layup by Jenks, Putnam’s lead was 51-48 with 50 seconds left, but Hopkins could not get any closer.
Senior Allison Jenks and sophomore Kiernan Wackerbarth are in Nicaragua on a student trip that was planned a year ago. The Golden Hawks’ missed Allison Jenks on both ends of the floor.
“They get back Friday,” Samantha Jenks said. “It was hard. A lot of our plays are based on her setting screens. It was hard. People were in new positions. I think we did pretty good for a young team.”
Sophomore AJ Mitchell and junior Ali Stevens have torn ACLs and did not play.
But Younger players contributed for the Golden Hawks.
Thea Hanscom had 10 points while Allison Kowal-Safron added eight points.
Allison Markowski filled in for Allison Jenks down low and did a good job on Putnam’s Angelica Peguero.
“I can’t replicate a tournament atmosphere in practice,” Ciaglo said. “I want them going home feeling good about themselves. We fought till the end.”
Peguero had nine points near the rim in the first half, but was limited to four points in the second half.
Chadiah Haywood scored 14 points for the Beavers.
The Golden Hawks started slow and faced a 22-12 deficit in the second quarter.
Hopkins took its first lead in the third quarter when Markowski hit a free throw to make it 29-28.
The Beavers ended the third quarter on a 8-2 run, then started the fourth with a 9-0 run to take control of the game.
Putnam 53, Hopkins Academy 48
Putnam (15-6)
Meiellus 2-2-8, Haywood 5-4-14, Peguero 3-3-9, Ramierez 1-0-3, Fernandez 2-0-6 Totals 19-10-53
Hopkins (10-11)
Picard 0-2-2, Sam Jenks 7-9-23, Hanscom 5-0-10, Allison Kowal-Safron 3-1-8, Palmisano 1-0-2, Markowski 1-1-3, Ring 0-0-0, Palmisano Totals 17-13-48
|
Putnam |
15 |
12 |
12 |
14 |
—53 |
|
Hopkins |
10 |
16 |
11 |
11 |
—48 |
3-Pointers—Putman 5 (Fernandez 2, Meiellus 2, Ramierez) Hopkins 1 (Allison Kowal-Safron)
