HINGHAM — At any time when Hingham makes the five-minute journey over to Notre Dame Academy for a sport in any sport, bragging rights are on the road.
Within the newest matchup between the 2 colleges in women basketball Monday night time, Eileen Lowther turned in one in every of her finest video games of the younger season. The junior captain completed with 21 factors to go together with 17 rebounds and 5 blocks, because the Harborwomen (5-1) saved their improbable begin going with a 45-33 highway win over the Cougars (3-3).
“I feel it provides us a whole lot of confidence going into the season,” Lowther mentioned. “After a troublesome season final 12 months, we would have liked extra confidence. I feel we’ve pulled it collectively this season. We actually united as a crew. We pulled it collectively due to the neighborhood now we have, and the power to work collectively.”
The 2 neighboring rivals struggled to discover a tempo within the first jiffy of play, earlier than the Cougars started to warmth up within the opening body. Powered by senior captain Elle Orlando, NDA closed the primary quarter on a 13-3 run to assemble a 15-8 lead.
Nonetheless, Hingham responded within the following stanza. After switching to a full-court press defensively, the Harborwomen slowly chipped away at their deficit with ferocious play. With three seconds remaining within the second quarter and the ball at midcourt, Sienna Powers corralled an inbounds move alongside the baseline, then drove to the cup for 2 as she was fouled. The junior hit the following free throw with 0.1 seconds left within the body, as Hingham lower it to a 23-19 sport at intermission.
“We went into half at 23-19, and we held them to 10 factors in each of these (late) quarters,” Hingham coach Roland Millien mentioned. “It was all about being in good place, being in nice assist place, after which speaking. Speaking on screens, and leaping up.”
The sport changed into a defensive chess match to start out the second half, as neither crew was in a position to sink a bucket for the preliminary 4:42 of motion. Then Lowther took the sport over, keen Hingham proper again into issues. The junior banked house a layup with 2:30 to go within the third quarter, as her crew drew even at 23-all.
The 2 packages entered the ultimate stanza tied at 28-28. Hingham flipped a change, and was in a position to draw back late. Lowther tallied seven factors within the fourth, sinking 5-of-6 free-throw makes an attempt because the Harborwomen closed issues out with a 17-5 run offensively to ice issues.
“Since Perry Blasetti (was right here), that’s the finest begin we’ve had in a couple of years,” Millien mentioned. “I feel we’ve finished it by doing the little issues. Doing the little issues in follow, by way of boxing out, by way of speaking, and by way of being bodily with one another. So we will see, as soon as a crew will get bodily with us, we all know tips on how to deal with it.”
Orlando completed with 12 factors to tempo the Cougars.
Since Millien took over as coach of the Harborwomen in 2021, the 2 colleges have met thrice. It was the primary victory over NDA in his tenure.
“It feels actually candy to drag out a win in opposition to them,” Lowther mentioned. “We haven’t received a sport in opposition to them shortly. It feels candy to know that our onerous work paid off.”
