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03/29/2015 12:00 AMThe Hand girls’ basketball team had lofty preseason expectations heading into its campaign and, when the dust finally settled on the court, the Tigers carved their niche in program history by living up to the hype and reaching new milestones.
Hand cruised through the regular season with a mark of 18-2 while going 8-0 for divisional play to win the SCC Hammonasset Division title in consecutive years for the first time in program history. Once in the conference tournament as the No. 3 seed, the Tigers dispatched Hillhouse and Amity to reach the program’s first SCC final, where they lost to top-seeded defending champion Mercy in a hard-fought 57-52 decision. 5th-seeded Hand then earned a first round bye in the Class L State Tournament prior to defeating RHAM in the team’s first second round home game in seven years, after which the Tigers lost to No. 4 Capital Prep in their inaugural state quarterfinal bid in Head Coach Tim Tredwell’s six-year tenure. Hand’s final record was a robust 21-4, marking a three-win improvement from last winter.
“Coming into the season, we all had an idea this could be a special season, so our goal was to play in the present, to focus on the task at hand, and not get ahead of ourselves,” said Tredwell, who was named the SCC Coach of the Year. “Maybe once or twice we got away from that and started looking ahead, but we quickly snapped back to taking care of business. We were certain if we could maintain that level of focus, the results would take care of themselves, and I think we did a tremendous job of that. Top to bottom, they were the most unselfish, most talented, hardest-working group I’ve had here and that’s saying a lot. If the future generations of Madison basketball players do what they can to emulate this team, this team’s impact will be felt for many years. ”
Hand was led by a pair of senior captains in forward Gege Catalano, an All-SCC and New Haven Tap-Off Club All-Area Team selection who was the club’s leading scorer (11.4 points per game) and rebounder (7.1 boards a night) and named Team MVP; plus sharp-shooting guard Cori Ouellette, who led the squad in three-pointers with 47 treys. Tredwell said his captains filled the stat sheet nightly, yet contributed even more with their intangibles both in and out of action.
“Cori was an exceptionally vocal leader. She was very versatile on the defensive end and was easily the most coachable player I’ve ever had. She hurt her ankle two minutes into our quarterfinal loss to Capital Prep and, even though she was staring at the end of her high school career, she was still yelling and cheering for her teammates. It spoke volumes about who she is and why she was such an important leader for us,” Tredwell said. “Gege is the perfect example of what hard work and a good attitude can get you. She wouldn’t have cared about the numbers as long as her team was winning. Her enthusiasm was contagious and her efforts on the floor have earned her numerous, well-deserved postseason honors.”
Rounding out the senior class were forwards Lauren Brandau, Cassidy Wygonik, and Michelle McCloskey, plus guard Olivia Jackson.
“Lauren was the ultimate team player. Whatever we needed to win, whether it was diving on a loose ball, making the extra pass, or making that one hustle play no one else would or could make, she was willing to do. Cassidy had such a positive impact on our program this year. She was relentlessly positive, refusing to let anyone get down on themselves, but still heady enough to give the team a swift kick when our energy was lacking,” said Tredwell, who was also the Tap-Off Club All-Area Coach of the Year. “Olivia was that boost of energy this team needed. Sometimes she was coming off the bench to get that one stop or a quick bucket. Other times it was that comment out of left field that kept everyone loose. Michelle was a very cerebral player, who could come into the game and knock down a jumper or protect the rim with her exceptional shot-blocking ability. To have a 5-foot-11 college player contributing off the bench was a tremendous asset for us a big reason for our special season.”
Despite losing half a dozen seniors, next season’s club will return a seasoned core of guards in juniors Paula Materin and Gillian Kraemer, along with All-SCC and Tap-Off Club All-Area sophomore Gabby Martin (named the Team Defensive Player of the Year). Hand will also welcome back a collection of underclass athletes who have already shown glimpses of promise that can help keep the Tigers among the SCC’s elite.
“We will be a very different team next year. While we lose a lot to graduation, we still return a very talented trio of guards in Materin, Kraemer, and Martin. Paula was our second-leading scorer this season, as well as one of the top three-point shooters in the area. Gillian is a seasoned guard who can score in a variety of ways, but plays incredibly unselfish. Gabby Martin emerged this year as potentially one of the best point guards in the state. She led us in assists and is an absolute nightmare on defense,” said Tredwell. “We also have a number of young players who have shown the potential to contribute at the varsity level. Sophomore Kaitlyn Martin is an athletic forward in the mold of Lauren Brandau who creates havoc on both ends of the floor. Sophomore Colleen Caruth has excellent length and has displayed an impressive shooting touch for a forward. Sophomore Julianna Egidio has shown the speed, athleticism, and attitude that suggests she will be doing whatever she can to contribute. Freshmen Gabby Egidio and Emma Sullivan are both very talented guards who can quickly turn steals into points. In the end, what these kids do between now and next November will determine how successful we are. If each of them work to their potential, next season could be a lot of fun.”