The Mt. Hope High School basketball teams returned to the hardwood from the recent holiday break in earnest last week, beginning with a split of a home double-header Monday evening, Jan. 7.

That night, the boys were 54-42 winners over visiting North Smithfield in a Division III league outing to open the action.

The girls were defeated by their guests from East Providence in the nightcap, 43-38, in a Division II encounter. The setback ended the Huskies' modest two-game win streak as they fell to 4-3 overall at the time.

The boys were right back at it on Tuesday, Jan. 8, when they handed Division II foe St. Raphael a 58-51 defeat.

The victory closed out a very successful homestand for the Huskies, who won each of their three outings on campus in Bristol to improve to 5-2 overall at the time.

More boys' notes
"It was a big win versus a D-II team," Mt. Hope head coach Jeff Grifka said of the victory over the Saints.

The game with St. Raphael remained close through the opening 16 minutes. The Saints led 16-15 at the end of one period, but the Huskies held a slim 27-25 edge at the break.

The hosts extended their advantage in the third quarter, outscoring the Saints 20-15 to build a 47-40 lead heading in the final frame. St. Ray's couldn't get much closer over the last eight minutes as the Huskies held onto their leading margin.

Maleaq Roderick led all scorers with a game-high 17 points. Jack Thompson was right behind with 16. Matt MacDougall had 11 and Lucas Andreozzi 10.

"Everyone attacked the basket. Maleaq played very well. Our defense is what won our last two games for us," Grifka added. "Brian (Abbruzzi) and Ethan (Santerre) played a great defensive game. Jack got a number of rebounds. Lucas controlled the tempo."

In the win over the Northmen the previous evening, the locals controlled the action throughout. The Huskies built a 24-7 lead at intermission and were never tested the rest of the way.

Andreozzi led a balanced Mt. Hope offense with 14 points. MacDougall added 11 and Thompson 10. Roderick and Jaedyn Owens chipped in six apiece. In all, eight Huskies scored at least a bucket.

More girls' notes
Against the visiting Townies to begin the week, it was a struggle for both teams to find the range early.

After neither team scored for five minutes, according to Mt. Hope head coach Katie Kline. E.P. led just 10-2 at the end of the opening eight minutes. Trinity Provencher scored eight of her team-high 12 points in the period for the Townies.

Emily Moran accounted for the lone bucket in the quarter for the hosts, who did pick up the pace in the second. Moran, who finished with 11 points, scored seven in the period as the locals trailed by just one, 19-18, at the half.

Mt. Hope's Lilly DaSilveira got a rhythm in the second period, scoring a pair of hoops, then carried the locals in the second half by scoring 11 of her game-best 15 over the final 16 minutes.

The Townies, though, added to their lead by winning the third quarter, 11-6, to take a 30-24 lead to fourth.

Adrianna Botelho chipped in four points for the Huskies. Hailey Ferreira and Maddy Butterworth added three each and Sofia Haberman two.

"It was a good game, hard fought," Kline said of the E.P. contest.

— East Bay Media Group and eastbayri.com contributing photographer Julie Furtado shot the accompanying gallery of photos.