NEW HAMPTON, N.H. — Last year, New Hampton girls basketball came oh-so-close to a monumental NEPSAC championship.
After an overtime triumph against neighboring rival Tilton in the Class AAA semifinals, the Huskies had barely 24 hours to turn around and meet Hoosac in the championship. They fell just short in a 39-37 rock fight that came down to the final seconds.
That was the last hurrah for Elyse Ngenda, one of the defining stars in program history, as well as dominant center Serenity Lancaster. But after attending one of New Hampton's open gyms, I think the Huskies might transition more seamlessly this season than I initially expected.
Here's how the team shapes up for this winter.
State of the program
New Hampton is one of NEPSAC girls basketball's legacy programs that has long competed in the top classes.
Around the turn of the century, the Huskies swept in championships in 1996, 2000, 2004, 2005 and 2007. But they haven't brought back a title since — though they've been close. The Huskies have made the NEPSAC AA (and now AAA) semifinals in four of five seasons post-pandemic, including last year's championship game appearance.
The coach
Jamie Bavaro joined New Hampton for the 2019-20 season and has kept the Huskies as a competitive program in NEPSAC's highest levels since.
The Nashua, N.H., native won New Hampshire Gatorade Player of the Year in 2013 as a high-schooler at Bishop Guertin. Bavaro then went on to play four years of college basketball at Niagara, graduating in 2018. She then coached briefly in Ireland as a Victory Scholar with the Sport Changes Life program.
The star players
Ngenda's graduation leaves a large void for a floor general and individual scorer to step up. It looks like Saige DeJesus (Brockton, Mass.) will assume much of that burden, and the 2029 guard looks ready for the responsibility.
DeJesus broke into New Hampton's rotation as a freshman primarily for her defense. But she has since exploded onto the Division 1 radar with six offers since the spring, showing off her pull-up scoring and shaking off defenders to get to the basket.
At the Oct. 12 open gym I watched, DeJesus was the Huskies' go-to point guard, and she was confident scoring and playmaking.
"She is a great energy bunny, I call her. She is going to be someone that we for sure lean on for running the offense and just kind of running the show, and she's done a great job with it," Bavaro said. "She just sees her teammates, and I think the best thing about her is that she makes people around her better, and that is what I'm most excited for."
Meanwhile in the frontcourt, 2028 6-foot-1 center Shannon O'Leary (Marshfield, Mass.) has experienced a similar recruiting breakout, picking up her first four offers since June. O'Leary is one of New England's best passing centers, but she can also rebound and stretch the floor as a shooter. Bavaro wants to see O'Leary seek out her own scoring chances.
"She's a very good scorer. She can shoot the three really well," Bavaro said. "(Last year) we had Serenity, we had Elyse, we had Chloe (Dix) — we had some really big-time scorers, right? And so for her, (she was) maybe more passive. But listen, she is a heck of a player, she really is, and I want her to be more demanding."
The under-the-radar players
Guards Ava Perry (Groveland, Mass.) and Casey Stores (Bellingham, Mass.) have long been components of New Hampton's rotation. Perry is a strong defender and ball-handler who has a knack for finding and cashing on mid-range jumpers, and Stores complements her as a knockdown 3-point shooter and slasher.
They're now seniors and the longest-tenured Huskies on the roster.
"We have the opportunity to step into such a big leadership role," Perry said. "So I think for us it's really just, we have a lot of new girls, so showing them how we play (and) what our culture is has been big for us. But also just that vocal piece of it. I think we've always led by example, but this year, using our voice — leading by example but also leading by our voice — is definitely the biggest part of it."
Perry and Stores will also help support DeJesus as she learns how to lead New Hampton's offense. Perry was bringing the ball up frequently in the open gym scrimmage runs, and Stores is capable of beating defenders driving in a straight line as well.
"Me and Saige will definitely bring up the ball together, taking a little bit of that pressure off her, especially with these teams playing high-pressure, maybe face-guarding, whatever it is," Perry said. "I think also just playing off-ball. Sometimes in the past we've been stagnant, so I think doing the most we can (with) screens, a lot of handoff actions, just playing that two-man (game). Our chemistry since last year has grown, so I think me and her have played really well together. "
Top newcomers
Former Bedford, N.H., stars Mel McCarthy and Eva Zink — both now in the 2028 class with McCarthy reclassifying — have continued their frontcourt partnership at New Hampton. They represent two of the most significant transfer moves in NEPSAC, with Zink our seventh-ranked 2028 prospect and McCarthy at No. 18.
McCarthy missed roughly the first half of the previous winter season with injury but has ramped back up to her typical level during the spring and summer. She showed off an ease spotting up for 3s as a 6-foot-1 forward and can win 1-on-1 post battles as well.
"She's incredibly vocal. I'm so excited to keep coaching her, to have her for two years too," Bavaro said. "I think she's just a natural leader. She listens very well, but she's also like, 'I'm not afraid to say how it is.' So I'm really excited for that."
Zink looked overpowering with her special combination of size, speed and aggression at 6 feet. She can fly in the open floor, beat defenders on face-up drives and corral offensive rebounds. Her footwork in the paint also looks improved.
"She's gonna be a mismatch nightmare," Bavaro said. "She can guard 1-through-5, she can play the 2-through-4. I'd love for her to handle the ball more and support being more of like a 1-2. (We're) working with her on scoring in different ways because it's not going to be as easy, I think, as in the past. But her motor is so high, and her work ethic is so good and strong that I'm not worried. If she's not doing well, she'll find a way to do something else."
Zink and McCarthy are the gems of New Hampton's transfer group, but the Huskies have more in the mix. Noelle Lawson, a postgrad from the San Francisco area, only started playing basketball two years ago but is already a solid shooter and wing option. Greta Nolan (Newport, Vt.) adds depth at point guard. And though she's still a raw talent, remember 2030 6-foot-4 center Lauren Sandstrom as well.
Our expectations
The trio of O'Leary, Zink and McCarthy should become one of the best frontcourt rotations in NEPSAC this year. I have no doubt that the latter two transfers will succeed quickly.
In the backcourt, DeJesus is talented and confident enough to lead. But that's also easier said in October than done throughout the nearly four long months of a prep school season. Perry and Stores will be important to keeping the offense and general vibes stable. Perry also mentioned New Hampton's potential to play fast with quick guards and forwards like Zink and McCarthy who can run the floor.
The Huskies had one of the most fun open gyms I've attended so far this season with great competitive energy. While I'm not going to take away too much from it, I'm more excited about the potential of this team than I was a week ago. They might be underrated in the AAA title conversation and have a championship-winning ceiling.
