Girls Basketball Tops Plymouth South in First Round of Patriot Cup

Junior captain Caroline Connelly puts up 2 of her team leading 13 points in the game.

Saturday, February 13, 2021 - Story by Jake Bednarski, photos by Mary Prosky Gilbert

When Hingham Girls Basketball Coach Eugene Buczynski talked to his players before the game, he stressed the importance of teamwork in their game plan. “I knew that teamwork would win the game for us.” Sure enough, the Harborwomen won over the Plymouth South Panthers in the first round of the Patriot Cup, 54-29.

Hingham has been dominant this year, winning by big margins over Marshfield and Plymouth South earlier in the season. They ended the regular season with a record of 6-5 (4-4 in Keenan division) after tough losses to Whitman-Hanson, Bishop Feehan, and a close battle against Duxbury.

In the first quarter, Hingham came out swinging, scoring 20 points and leading Plymouth South by 11. Plymouth South were on their heels early, with their zone press dismantled by Hingham’s quick pass playstyle and give-and-go passes. With junior captain Caroline Connelly winning offensive rebounds, it was easy for Hingham to create scoring opportunities. The Panthers came out strong in the second quarter but the Harborwomen were solid defensively, forcing the ball out of bounds and breaking Plymouth’s momentum. Hingham responded offensively with 6 points by junior captain Perry Blasetti in just under a minute and once again led the quarter 17-5, bringing the score to 37-14. Plymouth South tried to come back in the second half, but their attempts were shattered after a 10-2 scoring streak for Hingham at the beginning of the third quarter. The deficit was too large for a comeback and Hingham held off the Panthers to win by 25. Connelly and Blasetti ended the game with 13 and 12 points, respectively. Plymouth South junior Alyssa Briggs also scored well, marking up 10 for her team.

Sophomore Ellie Savitscus drives to the basket.

After the game, Harborwomen senior captain Abbey Foley mentioned the intensity exhibited by her team, “We all worked together and the energy was very high.” She also gave credit to the Plymouth South team, remarking, “it was a great game to play and be a part of. It was a tough battle but our hard work and teamwork gave us the win.”

Coach Buczynski hinted at his team’s mentality going into the next game, observing that “this first win sets the tone,” and that they, “need to continue to stress teamwork."

The Hingham Harborwomen host Silver Lake, who won over Pembroke 38-29, in the next round of the tournament on Sunday, February 14th at 12:00 PM. Click here for the Harborwomen’s YouTube channel where they stream all their games.