Motivation isn’t hard to come by for senior Nia Green and her Hammond girls basketball teammates this winter.
After all, Green remembers perfectly well what it felt like two years ago to be on the other side of lopsided games during a six-win season that featured five losses by 30 or more points. As she points out, when you’ve seen the bottom of the standings it gives you a greater appreciation for the top.
So following Tuesday night’s 78-17 victory over visiting Arundel that improves the team to 6-0 on the season, the sentiment among players and coaches was consistent: This is just the beginning.
“Knowing where we came from, being a team that barely won any games a couple years ago, it definitely keeps us humble,” Green said. “We’re proud of what we are doing and it shows our progress and what’s possible if you put in the hard work. But we also know there’s a lot more that we still want to accomplish and we can’t be satisfied with just what we are doing so far.”
It’s the best start for the program since the 2001-02 season, a campaign which saw the Golden Bears finish 21-7 and make the Class 2A state championship game. Last year’s team that finished with 17 wins under first-year coach Ayanna Jones laid the framework and this year’s group is doing its best to build upon it.
“Last season was huge because it made us realize that we could be something special if we kept working hard. It changed the mindset I think of what was possible for us,” Hammond junior Sara Yarnell said. “We want to show people that things are different here at Hammond than maybe what they are used to.”
Among the biggest differences this season may be Hammond’s offensive firepower.
The win over Arundel was the third straight game in which team scored 75 or more points. To put the current stretch in perspective, prior to this season Hammond hadn’t reached 70 points in a single game since February 2019.
Yarnell (career-high 26 points, 13 rebounds and 4 blocks) and Green (16 points) were the leaders offensively against Arundel, but eight girls scored baskets in a game that featured an overall balanced attack. Senior Asia Mitchell (12 points) and freshman Maddie Osborne (career-high 8) were among the other standouts.
On the season, six Hammond players are averaging six or more points a game.
“They are really looking for each other, whether that’s giving the ball up early or looking for the outlet in transition, and that’s leading to quality shots which leads to confidence,” Jones said. “It’s a group effort and it starts in practice. They all know their teammates believe in them and that allows them to execute that much better.”
Just as impressive has been the team’s swarming defense, holding its first six opponents to an average of just 27.7 points per contest.
In racing out to a 13-2 lead over the Wildcats in the first three minutes Tuesday, five different Hammond players scored a basket. By the end of the first quarter the score was 30-4, and all those points were scored in the paint outside of a 3-pointer by Kayley Washington.
A pair of 3-pointers by Osborne highlighted the second quarter, which saw Hammond create a running clock by the midway point of the period. Arundel didn’t sink its first field goal until 95 seconds remained before halftime.
In the loss, Arundel was led by Madison Barber (5 points) and Nina Hollingsworth (4).
Looking ahead, Jones said her girls have been very purposeful about goal setting this year. In the locker room is a list of personal and team achievements that everyone is striving for.
Green isn’t shy about what tops her list.
“We want to win regionals and get to states and win that too. That’s the main goal,” Green said. “We know what we are capable of and that if we want to get there we have to keep working. Last year, after a good season, we lost our first playoff game and I think that was a huge wake-up call.
“We’re definitely determined to take that next step.”
Ha (6-0): Sara Yarnell 26, Nia Green 16, Asia Mitchell 12, Maddie Osborne 8, Kayley Washington 6, Delani Thomas 4, Hailey Freeman 4, Alexis Wright 2.
A (0-4): Madison Barber 5, Nina Hollingsworth 4, Samantha Scott 3, Justyce Ferdinand 2,Allison Owusu-Ansah, Saffiya Carson 1.
Half: 46-8 Ha.
