Friday, January 28 – Girls varsity basketball took on the Medway Mustangs at home, resulting in a close loss by Hopkinton 47-52.

During the first half of the game, the Hillers kept a narrow lead on the Mustangs, 26 to 25 at halftime.

Kiki Fossbender’s tight defense, accompanied by Lauren Cho’s skilled moves at guard, kept the Hillers confident into the second half of the game.

By the end of the third quarter, Medway switched to a zone defense and started to separate with a nine-point lead.

Despite the absence of one of their star players, Medway kept the game close until the final seconds.

Number 5, junior Amy Johnston, for the Mustangs made quick returns, while the shooting efforts of number 15, senior Lauren Beach, put points on the board for the Mustangs.

Hopkinton’s seniors led the starting line-up. Three-pointers from Brooke Dougherty, Kiki Fossbender, and Lexy Trendel in the middle of the fourth quarter not only closed the gap but also got Hillers fans on their feet.

With three minutes left, Hopkinton closed the lead and made it a four-point game.

Yet, Medway’s strong defense and fast-paced steals were enough to keep the lead.

Despite their loss, Hopkinton’s standouts included seniors, Lauren Cho, Brooke Dougherty, Carly Hedstrom, Jessie Ianelli, and Lexy Trendel.

Trendel held the paint, while Dougherty sank consecutive threes at the end. Also, sophomore Bethel Flanagan shined assisting Cho defensively and offensively.

The Hillers experienced a difficult start to the season with all players contracting COVID-19 before December break, postponing games.

“This made the first games more challenging, as we hadn’t had time to bond yet as a team,” Trendel said.

“However, we won our home opener, which is always a goal, and we are looking forward to having fans back for the games to come.”

Friday night also served as a “Think Pink” game, a fundraising event for breast cancer research.

Senior captain Trendel added, “It is important for us to remember that today we are playing for something bigger than ourselves.”