Tim Tredwell was raring to go for the Hand girls’ basketball team’s season opener versus Hillhouse last week, but the Tigers’ head coach heard some bad news when he found out that senior captain Sophia Coppola would have to miss the game. Despite Coppola’s absence, Hand battled its way to hard-fought 53-44 home victory versus Hillhouse on Dec. 17 to start off the year with mark of 1-0.

Senior captain Brooke Salutari scored 15 points to lead the Tigers in their win against the Academics. Coach Tredwell felt proud of his club finding a way to get the victory without one of its top players on the court.

“The day before the game, we found out we were going to be missing Sophia, and that was definitely a blow, because we knew how good Hillhouse was coming into this,” Coach Tredwell said. “Hillhouse defeated St. Joe’s during the preseason, and St. Joe’s was the No. 4 team in the state coming into this season, so we knew it was going to be a test. I’m very proud of the way our girls battled, and we had several players step up in place of Sophia.”

Hand’s first-quarter performance proved pivotal in the victory as the Tigers outscored Hillhouse by a 14-4 margin during the opening period of play. Junior Natalie Lucas scored 10 of the Tigers’ 14 points in the first quarter, hitting a trio of 3-pointers to start the game. Lucas finished with 13 points, five rebounds, and one steal on the night.

“Natalie was on fire for us early on. To be able to survive a game like that in our home opener was huge. Natalie has worked so hard on her game, and it really opened things up for us on offense,” said Tredwell. “We know Hillhouse is a very explosive team, and they have a tendency to go on runs throughout the game. To be able to establish and early lead was important and set the tone for the rest of the game.”

Another player who made a significant contribution for Hand was junior Annie Goodrich. In her first game as a member of the Tigers’ starting lineup, Goodrich scored 11 points to go with two rebounds, two assists, and three steals to help Coach Tredwell’s club prevail.

“Annie stepped into the starting lineup and was sensational,” Tredwell said. “She played the second most minutes on the team and was a major reason why we came away with the win.”

Sophomore Carson Miller added eight points for Hand in the victory. Hand led Hillhouse 14-4 after the first quarter, but the Academics outscored the Tigers in both the second (19-15) and third (13-9) quarters to cut the deficit to 38-36 entering the fourth. However, Hand outscored Hillhouse by a 15-8 margin in the final period to win the game by a 53-44 score.

Coach Tredwell is looking forward to seeing Hand at full strength when Coppola and Salutari are back on the floor together. Last year, the duo guided the Tigers to a record of 12-2 and an appearance in the semifinals of the SCC Division I Tournament.

“These kids have been around our program for four years now. Both are four-year varsity players. They both turned out to be phenomenal players,” said Tredwell. “Sophia does what she’s supposed to do. It was nice seeing Brooke pick her spots on the floor against Hillhouse and being that positive leader we needed her to be in tense moments. When both of them are out there together, I know we are going to be dangerous.”

Now his 13th year as Hand’s head coach, Tredwell has learned to never take a day for granted. After playing shortened seasons in which no state champions were crowned each of the past two years, Coach Tredwell wants to see the Tigers complete a full campaign without any setbacks due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic this winter.

“We haven’t been impacted by it so far. It’s hard to read the news and not be nervous about the potential for this to go south on us again,” Tredwell said. “My biggest takeaway from last season is that we can’t take anything for granted, and we need to value every day.”

Salutari and Coppola are the only two seniors on Hand’s roster this season. Along with Lucas and Goodrich, the Tigers’ junior class includes Maya Blomberg, Aubrey Canth, Coco Rourke, Carson Miller, and Lucy Frtizinger. The sophomores on Hand’s varsity squad are Lucy Schwarz and Abbey Richards.

“This is one of the most capable teams we’ve had in a while. We have a lot of height, experience and depth, which are all key factors in putting together a winning team,” said Tredwell. “As long as we’re staying in the moment, this team could have a really special season.”