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01/25/2019 11:00 PMThe Hand girls’ basketball team has faced some challenges while featuring a new-look roster this season, but the Tigers are fighting hard every night, and stand right on the cusp of getting back to the postseason.
Last year, Hand finished with a record of 22-5 after reaching the semifinals of both the SCC Tournament and the Class L State Tournament. This winter, Hand entered the campaign with several sophomores and freshmen earning valuable varsity minutes. The Tigers have grown a lot as they’ve learned on the job and are just one win away from making states with their record of 7-7.
Hand took a 46-42 loss to Mercy on Jan. 22 and then dropped a 50-47 decision against Cross in last week’s matchups. However, even in defeat, Head Coach Tim Tredwell drew upon a positive with how his team performed in a pressure-packed scenario versus Mercy.
“Early in the season, we may have melted down when things started to get away from us, which is typical of a young team. But I was pleased that we had an opportunity to tie or take the lead in the final moments of the game,” said Tredwell. “Hopefully, we are able to learn and build from these experiences.”
Junior guard Sara Wohlgemuth led the Tigers with 19 points, three rebounds, three assists, and three steals in the Mercy game. Freshman guard Brooke Salutari scored eight points, including a pair of threes, while junior forward Summer Adams grabbed eight rebounds.
Mercy came out cold, and the visiting Tigers went up 15-6 behind Salutari’s eight first-quarter points. Hand stretched the lead to 11 at the half after Wohlgemuth scored 10 points in the second period. However, Mercy got going in the third quarter and cut Hand’s lead down to five entering the final frame. Mercy found its extra gear in the fourth quarter as Kameryn King scored nine of the team’s 18 points to lead her club to the four-point win.
“We came out slow in the third and allowed them to gain some confidence,” Coach Tredwell said. “Still, the kids showed a lot of maturity fighting through the rough patches and battling in the fourth.”
Three nights later, Wohlgemuth led all scorers with 23 points when Hand took a 50-47 defeat versus Cross. Sophomore forward Taya Akers added 12 points on four 3-pointers.
Cross pounded the ball inside to its trio of bigs to take a lead five-point lead after one. Hand trailed by four at the half. Cross outscored the Tigers 15-4 during the third quarter to take a 15-point lead into the fourth. However, Hand cranked up the defensive pressure in the final period and, behind 13 points from Wohlgemuth and three triples from Akers, the Tigers were down only three and had the ball with 18 seconds to play. Hand got three quality looks from 3-point range in the final moments, but were unable to net the equalizer, as Cross escaped with the divisional win.
“This was another game typical of our young team, where we showed flashes of looking tentative against a physical team, but also showing flashes of looking composed, athletic, and skilled,” said Tredwell, whose team has a record of 2-2 in the SCC Housatonic Division. “We dug ourselves a bit of a hole as Cross took advantage of its size inside, and we struggled to score.”
As Hand looks to lock down that postseason-clinching victory, Coach Tredwell said he was impressed with how the Tigers battled back from a big deficit to put themselves in position to win versus Cross.
“As we dug in late in the game, we showed what we were capable of doing by turning defense into offense and, for the second straight game, giving ourselves a chance late in the game,” Tredwell said. “The key for us going forward will be balancing that composure and energy for each possession the entire game.”
From the Sidelines
This is Tim Tredwell’s 10th season as head coach of the Hand girls’ basketball team.
Hand plays in the SCC Housatonic Division with Cross, Hillhouse, Cheshire, and Foran.
The SCC Tournament begins with the first round on Thursday, Feb. 14, after which the quarterfinals will take place at Sheehan on Saturday, Feb. 16. The semifinals will be held at Law on Monday, Feb. 18, and the final will take place at Hamden on Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m.