There is defense, and then there is championship-level defense. 

The Barrington High School girls basketball team exhibited the latter during the Division I State Championship game at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence on Wednesday night, March 6. 

The Eagles used a suffocating defense to keep North Kingstown scoreless through the entire second quarter. The Eagles turned a three-point deficit at end of the first quarter into a nine-point lead at halftime, 24-15. Barrington expanded its lead to as many as 15 points in the second half, held off a late push by the Skippers, and celebrated a 50-40 victory when the final horn sounded. 

BHS Coach Stephen Lenz said his team’s defense was stellar throughout the game.

“It was the most important part of the game,” Lenz said. “Even when they (the Skippers) made their run, we had to regroup and stay connected on the defensive end and that’s what we did — the defense and rebounding down the stretch.

“I think one of the big things we’ve been saying over the last couple weeks is ‘Embrace the adversity.’ And that’s something that we’re trying to do. When things get tough, embrace it. It is what it is. They’re making their run. Stay connected. Stay true to the things you guys do. The game’s going to be won on defense and rebounding.”

Coach Lenz’s message was echoed by members of the team.

“Our defense was so strong. It was exactly what we worked on,” said Barrington High School’s Isys Dunphy. “A whole lot of grit.”

BHS senior Maddie Gill said defense has been the focus.

“It’s been something we’ve been prioritizing in practice,” Gill said. “We know that if we have strong defense, it really translates to our offense. We came in during halftime and our managers were like ‘They scored no points in the second quarter.’ We knew that it was just playing together, our defense being able to stop penetration, get our rebounds, was something we’ve been working on for so long. Just for it to pay off on this big stage is just great.”

Gill, Dunphy and the rest of the Eagles ‘embraced the adversity’ early in the game.

North Kingstown stormed out to a 4-0 lead early, but Barrington responded. Janaya Prince Baquero drove for a basket to cut the lead to 4-2, and on the next trip Gill knocked down a three-pointer in the corner. Prince Baquero extended Barrington’s lead to 7-4 a minute later with a drive to the hoop, and later gave the Eagles a 9-6 edge after getting fouled on a strong move to the basket.

“I’m used to it,” Prince Baquero said about taking the ball into the paint. “I just love drawing the contact and getting to the free throw line.”

Prince Baquero went a perfect four-for-four from the free throw line in the first half and went into the break with 14 points. 

Barrington’s nine-point halftime lead grew to 15 midway through the third quarter, 30-15, after Dunphy drilled a pull-up jumper. North Kingstown responded with a pair of baskets and Gill hit a layup to cap a fast break a few minutes later, giving the Eagles a 32-19 lead. 

The Skippers’ Jaelyn Holmes scored and was fouled at the end of the third quarter. The three-point play made the score 36-27 Barrington. At the start of the fourth quarter, Dunphy was fouled on two offensive possessions. The junior hit all four free throws and gave Barrington a 40-27 advantage. 

But North Kingstown refused to quit. The Skippers went on an 8-to-1 run to cut the score to 41-38 with less than four minutes to play. 

“NK’s a great team, and Bob’s a great coach,” said BHS Coach Lenz. “You know they’re going to make that run. You’re just mentally preparing yourself for when it’s going to happen. You have the confidence in your kids that they’re going to respond, and they did.”

Barrington’s defense led the way. Gill sprinted back to block an NK layup attempt and a moment later the senior stole a Skippers’ pass. Prince Baquero followed a Barrington miss with a rebound and score in the lane. A short time later Dunphy was fouled and knocked down a free throw, giving Barrington a 45-38 lead. 

With just over two minutes remaining, Dunphy elevated to block a Skippers’ shot attempt. Prince Baquero then drove to the basket, got fouled and drilled both free throws. 

The Eagles never looked back.

“This is a great feeling,” Prince Baquero said. “I can’t believe we did it. We worked really hard for this opportunity.”

Prince Baquero said it was a total team effort.

“We all have our roles on the team,” she said. “They’re a big part of this team, no matter what. They do their part, so we can all stay connected and build as a team. Even our bench, they have the energy for us.”

Gill agreed.

“It’s a dream come true,” Gill said. “We were all talking about that beforehand. Being in here is something we’ve all worked so hard for. We talked about this since the beginning of the season. This is one of our goals — One, to get to the big stage, and Two, to win it all…

“It feels incredible. Now we’re on to the state tournament. But to have this, it’s just a dream come true. The last time we won this was, I think, 2017. So to be able to pull it off, with a great turnout, it was just so fun for all of us.”