WORCESTER — The small school from Hadley could not get there against a deep and talented team from Boston on Saturday.
The Hopkins Academy girls basketball team lost 65-36 to Cathedral of Boston in the Division 4 state finals at Harrington Auditorium on the campus of Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Samantha Jenks led the Golden Hawks with 14 points.
Hopkins Academy won its first ever Western Mass. championship in her final season.
“I wasn’t expecting any of this to happen,” Jenks said. “I wasn’t expecting to be playing here.”
During the final minutes with the game decided, Jenks was quick to celebrate with teammate Gabby Palmisano who muscled in a bucket in the a paint.
Coach Mike Prattico later subbed Jenks out along with fellow senior AJ Mitchell to an ovation from the Hopkins Academy fans.
The emotions then set in for Jenks.
“I was trying to enjoy my last couple moments on the court,” Jenks said. “Then when I came off the switch just flipped and I realized I am not going back on the court.”
Mitchell fought through multiple surgeries on her ACL to capture a championship in her senior season for the Golden Hawks.
“I got through it but it was a battle,” Mitchell said. “It was our goal to make it but I was surprised that we made it as far as we did. We made history. I am proud of the girls and what we accomplished in my last year.”
Prattico just completed his first season at Hopkins Academy.
“I was born and raised by one hell of a basketball coach in my father,” Prattico said. “Being around him growing up around him and having him as a coach myself really matured me at a young age being able to understand what you have to do with a team to achieve what we did this season.”
The Golden Hawks finished 19-7 and beat Mount Everett in the Western Mass. finals.
“I think team chemistry and team bonding is something you really need,” Prattico said. “I think that is what these girls provided on day one. They wanted to buy into a system and a new coach and understand that we do what we have to do as a team then the sky is the limit.”
Cathedral (21-2) dominated the Southern Massachusetts sectional tournament, with its closest game coming in a 15-point win over Coyle & Cassidy in the semifinals.
The Panthers outscored their opponents 279-143 during sectionals.
Cathedral beat Fenway, 65-44, in the state semifinals. This is Cathedral’s third state title in the last four years.
“They have a lot of size,” Prattico said. “We did what we could to counter it but at the end of the day we just put ourselves in a big hole early. I think the moment might have finally caught up to us. We just have to appreciate what we achieved.”
Jenks will attend UMass in the fall, and has preliminary interest in playing hoops for the Minutewomen.
“I am still deciding if I will try out,” Jenks said. “I have been playing basketball since I was nine like every single day. I don’t know what it’s like to not be playing. So will take this time to see if I miss it. Depending on how I feel I might try out.”
Jenks will study business in Amherst.
Mitchell will attend Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida and could play basketball but might decide to just focus on her studies.
Thea Hanscom had eight points for Hopkins, with Allison Kowal Safron adding five.
In the first quarter the Golden Hawks played effectively on defense. A coast-to-coast take from Jenks made the score 10-8.
Cathedral got into a rhythm on offense at the end of the first and into the second quarter with an 16-0 run to give the Panthers a 26-8 lead.
The Panthers scored from outside and had the size to score near the rim. Cathedral’s defense forced multiple turnovers in the half court as well as from their trapping press.
“We weren’t ready for the pressure they put on us,” Jenks said. “It was a little too much. They had a very deep bench.”
The Panthers depth and the shooting of Amani Boston helped give Cathedral a 56-24 lead going into the fourth.
Boston led the Panthers with 17 points.
Cathedral coach Clinton Lassiter essentially ran two teams in and out of the game in the second half as the Panther pulled away.
Cathedral (Boston) 65, Hopkins Academy 36
Hopkins Academy (19-7)
Elson 0-0-0, Earle 0-0-0, Dyjach 0-0-0, Hanscom 2-2-8, C. Kowal-Safron 0-0-0, A. Kowal-Safron 2-0-5, Palmisano 1-1-3, Jenks 5-2-14, Mitchell 2-0-4, Venditti 0-0-0, Beauchamp 0-0-0, Markowski 0-0-0, Boisvert 0-0-0. Totals 12-5-36
Cathedral (21-2)
Jenkins 2-2-7, Boston 5-3-17, Barros 4-0-8, Duverna 2-2-6, Ansley 1-0-2, Fontaine 5-0-10, Daleba 5-0-10; Totals 24-7-65
|
Hopkins Academy |
8 |
5 |
11 |
12 |
—36 |
|
Cathedral |
14 |
18 |
24 |
9 |
—65 |
3-Pointers—Hopkins Academy 5 (Hanscom 2, Jenks 2, A. Kowal Safron); Cathedral 6 (Boston 4, Jenkins, Gibson).
