AMHERST – Hampshire Regional wants to run this girls basketball season.
The Raiders have the collective speed to beat opposing teams down court and create easy scoring opportunities on the other end, and did that against Mahar Regional on Friday night at Curry Hicks Cage in Amherst.
With so much speed, mistakes are going to happen. The Raiders were in foul trouble for most of the game, but the team’s ability to create scoring opportunities from multiple angles and get out on the break led Hampshire past the Senators, 67-36.
“I just thought we ran and passed really well and made the extra pass when we needed to,” Hampshire coach Dan Labrie said. “Really happy with this first game.”
The Raiders put on pressure with a full court press to start the game. The press forced turnovers and gave Hampshire a few extra possessions and kept Mahar off the board for the first five minutes of the game.
Delaney Marek (20 points) opened the scoring in the first quarter with a floater in the paint for the Raiders. Marek, a junior, was active on the offensive boards and presented the Senators with a tough matchup in the paint.
“She did really well inside,” Labrie said. “We missed some bunnies early on, but once we settled in and got the butterflies and nerves settled, we started playing our game.”
Both teams got in foul trouble early in the game. The Raiders were over the limit and in the bonus with 2 minutes, 58 seconds to go in the opening quarter. The Senators went over the limit at the start of the second quarter.
“Our defense was a little too aggressive. Too much reaching,” Labrie said. “We pulled back to a man defense inside the 3-point line. Tried to slow that down a bit.”
Despite the foul trouble, Hampshire held the edge going into the second quarter. A 3-pointer from Maddie Pond put the Raiders up 21-9 with five minutes and 35 seconds in the first half. Pond finished with 20 points and all three of the Raiders’ 3-pointers.
“As a team we are trying to develop more weapons offensively. She can hit the three really well, deep threes,” Labrie said.
Rubeck had a big second quarter, scoring seven for the Raiders. Throughout the game she flashed her ability to get down court quickly and take advantage of offensive breaks. Pond also played a big part in the Raiders’ 21-point second quarter, as she scored eight in the period.
The Raiders led 30-16 at halftime. The score would’ve been closer if Mahar shot effectively from the free throw line. The Senators went 8-for-21 from the line in the first half.
“That was most of the halftime talk,” Pond said about the team’s foul trouble. “We are trying to move our feet more and work on it in practice.”
Pond carried a strong performance in the second quarter over to the third quarter. She hit a 3-pointer in the corner to open the second half and scored down low while getting fouled shortly after.
“We knew we had to use our momentum from the first half, especially since we are trying to run and tire teams out this year,” Pond said.
With a 19-point lead moving into the fourth quarter, the Raiders continued to impose their will. Hampshire opened the final quarter with back to back fast break layups. Rubeck scored the second to put Hampshire ahead 49-28.
The Raiders opened the game with an all-junior starting five of Lila Labrie, Rubeck, Pond, Jocelyn Salomao and Marek.
“Most of us have been playing together since the fifth grade,” Pond said. “We know where each other will be on the court.”
The Raiders have a tough road ahead, but as long as the effort is there, the group feels the results will come.
“Half our season is against upper-division teams, seven of them away,” Dan Labrie said. “Confidence is up. I just hope we keep playing well, win or lose.”