A year ago, the Hand girls’ basketball team stood on the precipice of claiming a conference crown and entering a state championship game. Behind a deep and strong mix of returning pieces, the Tigers are determined to step one foot further toward both those summits.

Last winter, Head Coach Tim Tredwell and Hand finished the year with an overall record of 22-5 after advancing to the championship game of the Southern Connecticut Conference Tournament and then reaching the semifinals in the Class MM State Tournament.

After a 17-3 regular season mark, Hand’s playoff run started off with three-straight victories in the SCC Tournament. As the No. 2 seed, the Tigers posted wins over Amity, Hillhouse, and Mercy to reach the championship clash before a 55-37 loss to top-seeded Sacred Heart Academy (SHA) in the SCC title game. Hand was then the No. 3 seed in the Class MM State Tournament and had a first-round bye in the bracket. Following dispatching No. 19 East Haven and Killingly to advance to the Final Four, the Tigers fell by a 68-54 margin to 2nd-seeded St. Joseph.

As Hand begins to embark on another campaign following its prosperous postseason push in 2021-2022, Tredwell remarked the Tigers will take things a day at a time with the main goal of growing as a group and becoming a cohesive club.

“We want to grow closer and get better everyday,” said Tredwell on his team’s targets for this season. “If we work hard and stay close, we have the potential to have a special season.”

The Tigers will be led by a trio of senior captains this winter in guard/forward Natalie Lucas, who was an All-SCC Team player as the Tigers’ leading scorer last year, forward Coco Rourke, and Maya Blomberg also in the backcourt running the point.

No matter their ball background or position, the consistent characteristics amongst these three young athletes are their tenacity on the hardwood and team-first attitudes, according to their head coach.

“Natalie has committed to play college ball at Springfield College. She worked diligently this summer to add to her game and will be a threat from anywhere on the court,” said Tredwell. “Coco has been playing meaningful varsity minutes since her freshman year. She is an outstanding athlete and leader who has a knack for making winning plays. Maya is a throwback, pass-first point guard. She is tough, smart, and willing to do whatever it takes to make her team better.”

Beyond the triple-pronged captain’s helm, Hand will look to have additional key contributions from seniors in forward Carson Miller and Annie Goodrich at guard; plus juniors of Abbey Richard in the paint at center and backcourt classmates of guards Lucy Schwarz, Juliette Brenza, and Ava Davies.

“Carson is an experienced varsity player who gained a ton of confidence this offseason. She will be crucial to our success with her ability to score inside,” Coach Tredwell stated. “Annie is hyper-athletic and has also blossomed this offseason. She is looking to take on a more significant role on both sides of the floor and has the ability to do it. Abbey is just starting to scratch the surface of her talent. A skilled scorer with her back to the basket, she can also step outside and hit the three. Lucy is a skilled and cerebral guard with a nose for the basket. Juliette is not afraid to mix it up on the defensive end and can be dangerous when she gets hot from the outside. Ava is a tough player who can make contributions all over the floor.”

Within the conference ranks, Hand will compete in the SCC Housatonic Division alongside nearby rival Guilford, in addition to North Haven, Branford, and Shelton. Yet Tredwell circled interdivisional matchups in a stacked SCC, along with non-conference clashes that will serve as a barometer for the madness of March in the postseason.

“The SCC is loaded this year and we’ll face all the top teams,” said Coach Tredwell. “Games against West Haven, Hamden, Mercy, and SHA will show us what we’re made of. Rivalry games with Guilford are always fun. Out of conference games versus Norwich Free Academy, Farmington, and perennial state-title contender Cromwell will definitely help prepare us for the postseason.”

Tredwell returns for his 14th season as the Tigers’ bench boss. He will be assisted on the sidelines by Kristina Ciotto, who is back for her eighth campaign with Hand, along with Paul Ciotto (set to begin his 5th season). As the Tigers welcome back all-too-familiar faces in their coaching tree, Hand hopes to extract new moments the girls will cherish for the future.

“I expect the girls to learn a lot about each other and themselves,” Coach Tredwell said. “My hope is that the memories of this season are ones they can always feel good about.”

2022-’23 Hand Girls’ Basketball Schedule

Tuesday, Dec. 13: at Norwich Free Academy at 7 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 16: at West Haven at 6 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 20: at Branford at 6 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 23: vs. Mercy at 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 28: vs. Cromwell at 7 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 30: vs. Farmington at 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 3: vs. Shelton at 7 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 6: at Hamden at 6 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 9: vs. North Haven at 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 11: vs. Sacred Heart Academy at 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 17: at Guilford at 7 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 20: vs. West Haven at 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 24: vs. Branford at 7 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 26: at Mercy at 7 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 28: at Hall at 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 1: at Shelton at 7 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 3: vs. Hamden at 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 7: at North Haven at 7 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 10: at Sacred Heart Academy at 7 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 13: vs. Guilford at 7 p.m.