The Hingham girls’ basketball team has a bright future ahead of them going into the playoffs. They have everything a team needs in terms of depth. They have a strong set of guards who are confident in handling the rock and they have a strong presence in the paint both on offense and defense. They play aggressively, and they keep spectators on their toes with sudden fast breaks. They fight for every offensive rebound and never let their opponents get away with any free opportunity. They are even more impressive in terms of chemistry, although their team is young and most of them lack crunch time experience, they find ways to play to each other’s strengths by moving the ball and waiting for the perfect shot.
After an unconvincing 0-3 start to their season, where they lost by less than ten points each game, the Hingham girls basketball team picked things up, blowing out Scituate 49-25. Throughout the entire regular season, they only lost a few games with a margin of 20 points even though they faced very tough opponents. They played a surprisingly strong schedule this year and still found a way to get to the middle of the pack. Unfortunately, they had a bad stretch going into the playoffs. However, that has just kept them more motivated to prove themselves going into a bracket that has them playing some of the best competition in the state in the early rounds.
When asked about the team’s mentality, the changes they were making, and their feelings going into playoffs, sophomore guard Kylie McAloon responded, “We have all really been working well together and playing as a team. We have figured out our roles on the team and are going to make sure we support each other in big moments. This team has a shot to go far if we work together and give 110%.” Kylie provides insight into how the team is feeling; it is a good sign that they are confident and know where they stand and also realize that their losing record does not have any meaning anymore and they can focus on winning now.
Although they were strong before, it is evident that they have improved over the small break they had going into the playoffs. In their playoff kick-off against Bay Path RVT they shot the lights out and won 63-44. It was a statement game for them, warning other teams not to look over them.
A student who attended their first round game and many others for the Harborwomen this season, Andrew Nimboorkar explains, “Compared to the earlier games I attended it is so clear that they want to win, they used to walk with their heads down when they were losing, but now they show no signs of worry, even their players who usually do not play a lot are confident in their shots. This is a shift in energy that I have never seen before in high school basketball.” This goes to show just how badly they want to win.
Looking ahead, the girls team plays 4th seed North Quincy away this Friday, which will be the true test for their newly found confidence. I think if they play the way they have been playing recently, I have no doubt they will complete the upset.
