On a cold, snowy Tuesday afternoon, the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) girls varsity basketball team edged out the Somerset Berkley Raiders in a competitive fight to the finish, and came out on top 54-50.
The girls were feisty on both sides. Rebounds were grabbed, passes were blocked, and tugs of war with a loose ball were not uncommon. Both teams had strong defense and nice passing games.
Erin Hill at center won the first tip-off, and the Vineyard stayed ahead from there most of the game. Only at one point toward the close of the first quarter did the Raiders take the lead 11-13 after a solid three-pointer, but the Raider glow was short-lived as Samantha Hargy got a basket with 5.8 seconds left in the quarter, followed by her successful free throw at the buzzer, sealing the Vineyard lead 14-13.
The second and third quarters were much the same, with Somerset Berkley competitive, but lagging behind on the board. With less than a minute left in the second quarter, freshman Molly deBettencourt deflected a ball and then ran the length of the court to nail a basket and bring the score to 30-22.
Sam Hargy had eight rebounds in the first half, five of which were offensive and three of which were defensive. Molly deBettencourt also had two rebounds and three blocks in the first half, and Emily deBettencourt had three rebounds and one block.
“I just think we need to play with a little more intensity,” Assistant Coach Asil Cash told The Times at the half. “Their guards are really good, so we really need to stick with them. Our guards are looking for too many steals and maybe overplaying a lot — other than that, we are playing well.”
Molly deBettencourt came out like gangbusters at the start of the third quarter and quickly banked in two baskets within a minute of each other. Immediately following, Emily deBettencourt had an awesome interception that did not turn into a basket, but Molly deBettencourt grabbed the rebound and posted two points, making the score 40-31 Vineyard.
Just before the third quarter buzzer Erin Hill made an incredibly accurate pass to Sam Hargy under intense Raider pressure, and Hargy made a basket, closing the third quarter with the continued Vineyard lead of 46-33.
In the fourth quarter the game almost got away from the Vineyarders. Somerset Berkley was on fire and went for broke on the court. They were making basket after basket, blocking Vineyard plays, and were in total control of the quarter. Within a matter of minutes the Raiders closed the gap to 48-42.
The Vineyarders smelled trouble, and the last five minutes made for an absolute nail biter. The game got more physical, and girls from both sides were playing tough.
With 49 seconds left in the game, the Vineyard still led 54-47.
Raider star Breanna Wood executed a huge three-pointer and narrowed the Vineyard lead to 54-50, making it a four-point game with 22 seconds left on the clock. Neither team could do anything further, and the Vineyarders clinched the victory 54-50. “Our first league win, that was good,” Head Coach (and Erin Hill’s mom) Maureen Hill told The Times postgame. “We played Friday against Abbington, and we were beating them the whole game and they came back and ended up beating us by seven, so this is probably our closest game. Tuesday we play away at Coyle & Cassidy, which is another league game, and they will be tougher than these guys were.”
The Vineyarders are now 6-2. Leading Vineyard scorers were Erin Hill with 19 points and Molly deBettencourt and Samantha Hargy, who had 14 points each. Mariah Duarte had only four points, but they were big ones in the fourth quarter.
The girls JV basketball also beat Somerset Berkley, 31-18.
The Vineyarders are on the road the next two games, Saturday, Jan. 10, at Pope John Paul II High School, followed by Coyle & Cassidy High School on Tuesday, Jan. 13. The next home game is Saturday, Jan. 17, against Bishop Stang High School in another league contest.