Big Milestones in Double Ws over Hopkins

 It might not have looked like a sure bet down at Foxwoods, but the Girls and Boys Basketball teams doubled down on crosstown rivals Hopkins on Monday and both came up big winners. In addition, two players cashed in with impressive milestones, which made the double Ws all that much sweeter.

     In the early game, the Girls came out firing right from the start and never looked back, as they cruised to a 63-39 victory. Constant ball rotation and off-the-ball movement enabled the Hornets to spread the Hilltoppers out to create drives through the lane. And whenever the Hilltoppers collapsed deep into the paint, the outside shooting made them pay. The relentless pace also had the Hornets hungry for rebounds and put backs that the visitors could not match. 

     History was made in the game as freshman standout, Jayda Johnson, broke the girls’ single game scoring record, throwing down a stunning 34 points! Johnson was everywhere; slashing through the paint, breaking the Hilltopper pressure, hitting from the outside - a truly complete performance.

     Indeed, Jayda’s 34 would have been enough to defeat the Hopkins boys in the nightcap, as the Hornets won a relatively low scoring affair 43-31. The highlight of the boys game was seeing senior guard Jackson Benigni score his 2,000th career point with just over a minute left in the contest. Benigni led all scorers with 22. Afterwards, however, the sharpshooter shifted the spotlight directly onto the strong team effort. “It was great to play home with such a big crowd, and it's always a battle when we play Hopkins. It was a great win for us to get above .500 on the year. But no time to celebrate with a big one on the road Wednesday at Storm King.”

     No matter how either team finishes this season, they will play gutsy basketball down the stretch. And that’s a sure bet.