Kally Murdough took one final look at her teammates on the floor before she walked by the scorer’s table and then toward the Hopkinton bench.
In between the table and the bench, Murdough was met and embraced by her father, Skate, as the duo shared a moment met with cheers that turned into a standing ovation.
Murdough’s exit from the game with under a minute left wasn’t just a starter coming out, because her team had a sizeable lead. Instead, it was the final exit in a gym where over the last four years, plenty of blood, sweat and tears had been shed.
And the lone senior on the Hawks’ roster received the sendoff she deserved to highlight their 46-24 win over Raymond on Friday night.
The 5-foot-5 guard has been a source of stability all season long for a young, inexperienced Hopkinton roster, and Friday’s performance was no exception. Her versatility was on display throughout the early portions of the game as she seemingly rotated between every position on the floor.
Hopkinton (11-7) rattled off a 28-0 run that started halfway through the first quarter and ended in the opening of the third. Sophomore Lizz Holmes scored seven of her nine points in the midst of that run where rebounding and second chance opportunities led the way.
Friday’s win capped off what’s been a grueling week for the Hawks, and it was a win they needed more than wanted. Hopkinton closed out the season with four games in four days, three of which were losses. With the seeding for the Division III tournament still undecided, everything counted.
A youthful, inexperienced team has now turned into a playoff contender, however, and according to coach Pat Roye, it gives his squad an intangible advantage heading into the postseason.
“One of our goals we talked about early in the season was to be the team nobody wanted to play in the first round,” he said. “We may have achieved that.”
Some of the Hawks’ losses against the top-tier programs in D-III have only been by single digits, including a seven-point loss to Stevens and a six-point defeat to Monadnock.
The unquestioned leader in the Hawks’ journey from questioned team to certified playoff bound has been Murdough. And while it might not be on the stat night in and night out, her leadership and experience have been paramount.
“She’s probably the best captain in high school athletics that I’ve ever been around,” Roye said. “She really cares about her teammates; she leads by example; she’s meant everything to us.”
Her leadership will be leaned upon at most another four games. One of her favorite moments in her career came in the quarterfinals Monadnock two years ago where, as a sophomore, she got to experience a back-and-forth game with a dramatic finish.
It’s a game that’s been with her ever since, and now she’ll have a chance to lead her own tournament magic.
Murdough and company are eager to find out their tournament draw next week. The postseason begins on Wednesday with the preliminary round, but for now, she’ll enjoy stepping off her home court for one last time.