The Manchester Essex girls’ basketball team seemed to figure a few things out at just the right time.
The Hornets finished with an 8-12 record and really had to earn those wins with a challenging schedule from start to finish. It’s the finish, however, that could be a sign of good things to come now that the postseason has started, with the team picking up wins over Cape Ann League opponents Georgetown, Amesbury and Ipswich while keeping things close in a nailbiter of a loss to Danvers.
“We won three of four in our final regular season games,” explains Manchester Essex girls basketball coach Lauren DuBois. “It came down to the wire in three of those four games and we were able to hold on for the win in two (Amesbury and Ipswich) and we lost by three to Danvers a much closer margin than earlier in the season. I think we are playing great defense right now, so I am hoping we can carry that as our focus into the tournament.”
While Manchester Essex finished with a record under .500, they qualified for the tournament thanks to putting together that season-ending win streak and by virtue of the number of quality opponents they faced this winter. The strong finish helped the ME girls earn a preliminary round matchup with Sturgis Charter West in the MIAA Div. 4 Tournament. The Navigators finished with a 12-9 record to earn the 45-seed in Div. 4 and were scheduled to travel from Hyannis to Manchester to face the 20-seeded Hornets on February 25 (6 p.m., Manchester Essex Regional High School).
“They have played well this season,” Dubois says of Sturgis Charter West. “They have some size and some solid scorers. We need to bring our best game.”
To do that, Manchester Essex must continue to bring it on defense just as they did to close out the regular season.
“Defense is always our number one focus,” says Dubois. “We want to put a lot of pressure on the ball and play good team defense. We always hope to create some offensive opportunities with our defense.”
That defense usually leads to points, and the key contributors over the course of the 2024-25 season will be leaned on to continue doing what they do best in the tournament. Lily Oliver leads the team with just under 10 points and 1.7 assists per game, followed by Tess Carpenter (5.9 points and 2.6 steals per game).
“On offense we need to work together and be strong with the ball,” explains Dubois. “Everyone on our team can be a threat on the offensive end so we want to move the ball and attack the basket.”
Which means that the Hornets will need contributions from up and down the bench to play well in the postseason.
“Everyone has stepped up to contribute big minutes over the course of the season,” says Dubois, adding, “Emerald Jakes, Penelope Riggs, and Kacey O'Connell have also added some great offense for us. Ella Arntsen, Isabelle Donnellan Valade, Tori Moulton, and Charlotte Donnellan Valade have been key defensively for us and on the boards.”
The winner of the Hornets-Skippers matchup on Tuesday would then travel to Deerfield to face Frontier Regional on February 27 (7 p.m.).(After The Cricket Print Deadline).
