MIAA basketball: South Hadley girls defeat Frontier Regional, claim D4 state championship

LOWELL — The pain of losing woven together with unbridled chemistry brought the South Hadley girls basketball team together in a special way at the MIAA Division 4 tournament championship game on Saturday afternoon.

After losing two straight seasons in the state finals, South Hadley finally claimed its trophy as the third-seeded Tigers defeated No. 1 Frontier Regional, 49-38, to capture the Division 4 state championship at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell.

“We talked before the year about where we wanted to be and this is where we wanted to be,” South Hadley coach Paul Dubuc said. “We didn’t want any ‘what ifs’ when we went be back to the locker room. Which is what we had the last two years. I am just so proud of every single one of them. We played great defense when I thought when we had to. We shared the ball.”

South Hadley’s defense flummoxed Frontier for certain stretches. The Redhawks scored two points in the second quarter. South Hadley’s core has experience dating back to elementary school. That experience along with the events of the last two seasons brought about a unique type of mindset heading into the game.

“These girls have been playing together since fourth grade maybe,” Dubuc said. “It’s a fantastic ride.”

South Hadley needed big plays down the stretch to hold off the Redhawks. Protecting a four-point lead with under two minutes to play, South Hadley had possession. Cara Dean (12 points) found herself with the ball outside the 3-point line. While bleeding some clock was a viable option, Dean shot without hesitation. The shot went in, giving South Hadley a 43-36 lead.

“I just have confidence in myself,” Dean said. “I didn’t think twice about it. I knew if I missed someone else would have the rebound. If I made it, we would all cheer. I knew that we all played as a team. No matter the shot we took, no matter if we turned it over, we are all here together.”

It was the first state championship in program history for the Tigers. Dean and her teammates paraded the trophy over to an exuberant fan section when the on-court ceremony concluded.

“Obviously it’s not a great feeling to lose,” Dean said. “We definitely came back this year knowing we have a huge chance. We just kept playing our game. That definitely helped us and it feels amazing.”

Olivia Athas scored 10 points for the Tigers. On Frontier’s next possession, Athas picked up a steal and a layup to push the South Hadley lead to 45-36. Taylor Bullough (10 points) hit another clutch 3-pointer for the Tigers to help put the game away. South Hadley had a goal after last year’s defeat.

“Losing here sucks,” Athas said. “But it’s kind of been our goal throughout the whole season. We had the Western Mass. tournament, that we ended up winning and now the state tournament. This has been the goal all year and to be able to accomplish it is a surreal feeling. We’ve been playing together forever. Just to be able to do that together it feels great.”

Frontier briefly led in the first quarter after free throws by Skyler Steele. Unfortunately for the Redhawks, they spent most of the game trying to erase deficits. A bucket by Macy DeMaio with 2:47 left in the game got the South Hadley lead down to 40-36. Steele finished with 19 points for the Redhawks.

“I think that it’s obvious that being able to play in an arena like this is different than anywhere else we’ve played,” Frontier coach David Hastings said. “It’s a different environment. The idea that they had the experience of playing here two years in a row prior is a definite advantage for them. That’s not an excuse. They are a very good team, and they played better than us today. I believe that we will be back.”

Addie Harrington saw a lot of defenders against the Tigers. The junior finished with nine points. Harper Modestow dealt with some foul trouble for Frontier, scoring six points.

“It’s amazing to have an opportunity to play in this big of a game,” Harrington said. “South Hadley is a great basketball team. We knew it was going to be a battle. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy, and it was a battle. Unfortunately, we fell short. I am proud of everyone on our team. I am proud of every one of us to be able to make it to this moment.”

After a free throw by Simone Quinn and a runner by Dean, the Tigers built a 40-30 lead in the fourth quarter. Quinn, a sophomore, went 2-for-4 from the line in the fourth quarter. Frontier then went on a 6-0 run.

“It was definitely nerve-wracking but it felt good,” Quinn said. “It feels really because we last year we lost. It feels good to redeem ourselves.”

South Hadley jumped out to a 9-2 lead in the first quarter. The Redhawks came all the way back to tie the game, 13-13, after a 3-pointer by Steele. Ryley McMahon scored all of her six points in the second quarter for the Tigers. South Hadley went into halftime with a 27-17 lead.

Frontier fell behind 32-19 in the third quarter. Steele scored nine points in the frame, helping the Redhawks get back into the game. South Hadley went into the four quarter with a 34-28 lead. Kate Phillips added nine points for the Tigers.