HB girls basketball improved to 10-5 last Friday with a win over ConVal

Entering Friday, the Hollis Brookline Girls Basketball team was determined to pick up a win. A tough ten point loss on the road Wednesday against Oyster River wasn’t sitting well with the team, and they knew a second loss in as many games would hurt their playoff chances. At 9-5 HB looked to make quick work of the 0-12 ConVal team, who was hungry for their first win.

HB got off to a hot start, winning the tip off and picking up two points on a layup in their first possession. They kept the pressure on, and quickly took control of the game. Getting off to a 14-0 start was making ConVal look overmatched, and the team didn’t score their first points of the game until there was only 4:06 left in the first quarter. HB didn’t let up, and continued grabbing boards, moving the ball around with success. As the first quarter closed out, HB dominated with a 22-2 lead.

The second quarter was more of the same. While ConVal improved their offense, HB didn’t slow up either. They continued picking up rebounds on offense and defense, and had excellent ball movement, giving the offense plenty of time to find opportunities. This quarter was closer than the last, at the score of 16-8, but HB was running away with the game at a 38-10 score.

ConVal made the most of their halftime meeting and found some inspiration and fire for the third quarter. They got off to a 9-0 run to start the second half, and shrunk their deficit to 38-19. HB didn’t panic about their slow start though, and used their lead as an opportunity to give the bench more playing time. Once HB found their groove, play tightened up, and as the third quarter ended, HB still had the lead, now by a score of 42-21.

With one quarter left to play, both teams played strong defense, neither team was able to get off many shots, and there were a handful of steals on both sides. After the first three minutes, each team only had two points to show for in the quarter. HB’s bench continued to get plenty of work in, and played the entire quarter.

The game closed out a 48-32 HB win. They never trailed during the game, and it led to their tenth win of the season.

ConVal still sits at the bottom of the Division II standings, with a record of 0-13. HB now stands at 10-5, tied for sixth with Goffstown in the extremely tight Division II standings. With three games left in the regular season, the team expects to have a strong finish, and are primed for a deep playoff run.