DUXBURY – A 15-point game from senior Alyssa Hopps helped Quincy claim a 45-36 girls basketball victory over Patriot League rival Duxbury on Tuesday evening.
Head coach Sarah Conlon said tough play and a consistent performance on foul shots steered the Presidents (10-2) to the win.
“It took some grit,” Conlon said. “I think we got moving a bit better in the end and hitting some key foul shots didn’t hurt either. We were very efficient at the line.”
The first quarter featured some inconsistent shooting from both sides, with Quincy emerging with an 8-5 lead. Duxbury responded well in the second quarter, outscoring the Presidents 18-11 and entering halftime with a 22-19 lead.
Despite being down at the half, Conlon said that the second quarter helped her team settle in and they knew they could jump up in the third.
“We got used to the speed,” Conlon said. “(Duxbury’s) guards are very fast, they push the tempo. Not hesitating on transition defense and crashing on offensive rebounds was the key. We are working on balance and we did a much better job of that in the second half.”
Hopps led the charge in the third quarter, scoring eight of her team’s 13 points, and she said the strong play from her teammates opened her up for scoring chances.
“I had trust in my teammates for the entire game,” Hopps said. “Taylor (Mann) stepped up big and Frankie (Diaz) did as well. I stepped up at that moment because they had done that the whole game and I knew they could get me the ball.”
The team’s entered the final quarter tied at 32 but the fourth was all about the Presidents. Quincy outscored the Dragons 13-4 in the quarter and thoroughly dominated on the boards.
“Zoning in on our rebounds is tough, especially when you are tired,” Hopps said. “It can make or break your team, it’s where you need to make your big push.”
Conlon noted that her team’s rebounding proficiency represented a team-first attitude.
“It’s about knowing that five people have to be prepared to rebound at the same time,” Conlon said. “Individual efforts are great but we are so much stronger as a unit.”
As the clock waned, junior guard Taylor Mann was tasked with hitting two key free throws to seal the win. As she approached the shots, she said she had a clear head.
“It was a big deep breath,” Mann said. “I knew we needed the points but I really just took my time and focused on the shots.”
Mann said the win put the team on the right track as it approaches the end of the regular season with the Division 1 state tournament looming.
“We needed this win,” Mann said. “It was our 10th win, which is important for the tournament, and we really just needed to get back in the win column.”