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A relatively small Mt. Hope High School girls’ basketball team began its 2024-25 regular season over the last week, but though the Huskies are few in numbers their aims are considerable for the winter ahead.
Mt. Hope finished its 2023-24 campaign with a 6-12 record and outside of the Division II championship tournament field.
The Huskies return four of their five starters from a year ago, head coach Katie Kline believing that know-how mixed with talent and desire will propel the locals to more success this time around.
"We have a lot of returnees to the team," said Kline, embarking on her sixth year as the Mt. Hope head coach. She assisted by Jennifer Robbins and Sarah Barboza Wilson.
Kline continued, "We're looking at having a successful season. We did lose our top scorer (2024 grad Elsa White, 13 points per game), but we have a lot of quality people to fill her spot. We're a smaller team, but we have a lot of experience."
Senior co-captain Emily Moran and junior co-captain Lilly DeSilveira are back in the starting lineup, each coming off averaging 12 points per night a year ago.
Moran is the Huskies' 5-foot-11 center and DaSilveira, a 5'8" forward. Junior Madison Butterworth returns as the starting point guard. Hailey Ferreira is another returnee, bouncing back from injury that cost her half of last season. The junior guard is the third team co-captain this winter.
"We're super excited to have Hailey back," said Kline. "She's just been very competitive every day in practice, crashing the boards, getting rebounds and she's lot more confident in her shot this year. Madison takes control of the court for us. She's a great defender. She has a lot speed. She's super-aggressive on that end of the floor and all of our offense starts with her as well."
Kline continued about her front court standouts, "Emily is a threat on both ends of the court. She led in rebounds and blocks (last season). Offensively, she’s our biggest threat on the inside and has great reads with the ball.
"Lilly is a triple threat. She’s a point guard, shooting guard and 'big' all in one. She’s strong enough to post up on the inside, but can knock down the outside 3 as well. I can also trust her handling the ball under pressure. She gains more and more confidence each year."
Impressive freshman guard Catherine Frawley not only joins the program, but has earned the fifth spot in the starting lineup to begin the year. The 5'6" guard was the leader of the Kickemuit Middle School squad last winter.
"She has a very good basketball IQ," Kline said of Frawley. "She's very composed for a freshman. She has a lot of confidence. She's a good outside shooter and is good on defense."
Sofia Haberman, a junior guard, lead the Mt. Hope substitutes. She entered the starting lineup a year ago when Ferreira was lost to injury. Senior guard Lilliana Redman, junior guard/forward Adriana Botelho and sophomore guard Aubrey Cummings round out the roster and are expected to contribute when called upon.
"I'm very confident with our bench," Kline said of the Mt. Hope reserves. "They all have experience. They have their own strengths they bring to the team."
The Huskies start the season, as they do every year, in pursuit of the postseason, whether it be in the Division II tournament and/or the Open State competition.
To reach either or both, they'll have to meet the requirements of the Rhode Island Interscholastic League's updated scheduling and playoff qualification system. For hoops, it's a combination of the new Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) and the existing points structure used to determine how to get into the Open State field (Division I regular season league and divisional tournament wins earn 1 point; Division II, 0.8 points; and Division III, 0.6 points).
"So far this year the vibes are different, the feeling within the team is much better. They're competing harder, pushing each other in practice more," Kline added. "Obviously making the playoffs is goal, and making a deep run in the postseason is the hope every year."
As many 19 of 21 games on the Mt. Hope schedule could count towards the Huskies' power ranking. The locals got off to a rousing start with a commanding 50-22 victory over visiting Mt. Pleasant, a Division III entry. DeSilveira paced the Huskies with 19 points.
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