In the fourth edition of the winter wrap series, we head into Division III girls’ basketball with all eyes on Kearsarge.
The Cougars finished the season as the fifth seed in the state tournament, where their exit happened in the quarterfinal round with a 26-25 loss to No. 4 Newfound. Led by senior guard Caroline Camp, the Cougars ran their way through a tough schedule that included three consecutive games to close out the season.
A deep look behind their season and other area D-III teams:
Key game: Win at Hopkinton (38-31) on Feb. 8.
Key moment: First-round playoff win over White Mountains (47-32) on Feb. 16.
Season end: Quarterfinal loss (26-25) to No. 4 Newfound on Feb. 19.
Final marks: A year ago, Kearsarge broke the .500 mark by one game in an early exit in the tournament. This year proved to be quite the difference behind an offense that averaged 44.7 points per game. The Cougars’ points difference in losses was only 12. Led by a First-Team All-State selection in Camp, the girls’ squad mirrored the boys’ program in on-court philosophies through creating space and making the extra pass.
Key game: Win at Gilford (47-16) on Jan. 8.
Key moment: Victory over Raymond (46-24) on Feb. 11 to snap a three-game losing streak.
Season end: Preliminary round loss to No. 7 Stevens (51-32) on Feb. 16.
Final marks: Anytime you make it to the postseason, regardless of expectation, it’s hard to say the season was bad. The Hawks were a quick exit as the 10th seed, but the season featured plenty of good moments, noticeably their home finale against Raymond. In the 46-24 victory, do-it-all senior Kally Murdough was celebrated as Hopkinton’s only senior and, in the process, she led the way in ending a three-game losing streak. Murdough, who earned Second-Team All-State recognition, turned a raw team into a double-digit winner and set a solid foundation for next season.
Key game: Win against Franklin (59-11) on Feb. 11 to achieve even regular season record at 9-9.
Key moment: Feb. 8 victory at Berlin (46-37), final win against a D-III opponent.
Season end: Loss to No. 6 Monadnock (45-22) in preliminary round on Feb. 16.
Final marks: The Bears’ loss in the tournament was a tough way to end a below-.500 campaign, but Monadnock turned out to be the darling of the tournament, eventually winning the championship. Winnisquam graduates three seniors but will return a loaded sophomore class led by All-State Honorable Mention player Lauren MacDonald.
Key game: Win against Raymond (41-6) on Feb. 10.
Key moment: Tournament berth.
Season end: Loss in preliminary round to No. 2 Fall Mountain, 53-17, on Feb. 16.
Final marks: Belmont was the final team to make the tournament, and its 35-point victory over the Rams certainly helped its resume. Senior All-State Honorable Mention forward Courtney Burke was one of the Red Raiders’ bona fide leaders and will be missed next season.
Key game: Win against Campbell (35-32) on Jan. 31.
Key moment: H-D’s win against Campbell was its last against a D-III foe.
Season end: Loss against Mascenic (32-28) in the regular-season finale.
Final marks: The Hillcats in their three wins were dominant with differentials of 12 and 20 points in the first two games before a three-pointer against a competitive Campbell squad. Emily Howell, a junior, received Honorable Mention All-State accolades for her play throughout the season and will look to lead H-D through the program’s next step in 2022-23.