New Hampton Loses Heartbreaker to Hoosac in NEPSAC Class AAA Final

After an overtime win the night before against the #1 seed, the Huskies came out ready for a championship battle against Hoosac on Sunday, March 8th. Both teams set an early physical tone. Elyse Ngenda helped the Huskies with the scoring, knocking down a three, while Serenity Lancaster was scoring in the inside. Casey Stores led the defensive effort, matching up against Hoosac’s top scorer, Moser, keeping her to single digit scoring. 

New Hampton’s defensive adjustments in the second quarter helped build momentum, with Chloe Dix controlling the boards and jumpstarting transition offense. Hoosac responded late, taking a 19–16 lead into halftime in what remained a defensive battle.

Hoosac opened the third on a 5–0 run, but Stores answered with a deflection and transition bucket. The Huskies struggled with their turnovers and Hoosac's second-chance points. But, Saige Dejesus provided a key spark off the bench to keep things within reach. Trailing by seven with just over two minutes left in the fourth, New Hampton turned up the pressure. Dejesus attacked the rim for two, and Lancaster converted off the press to cut the lead to three points. In the final minute, Dejesus drew a foul to regain possession, and Dix found Kailey Sullivan for a clutch corner three pointer. With under 20 seconds remaining, Dix knocked down two free throws to pull within one. The Huskies had a final chance to tie, but the shot wouldn’t fall.

It was a gritty effort from the Huskies in their first Class AAA championship appearance, and this group has so much to be proud of!