DEDHAM, Mass. — Even amidst a roaring crowd of spectators at the NEPSAC girls Class B Small championship game, Maddie Benigni's voice stands out.
The 5-foot-5 Hamden Hall junior point guard is constantly communicating instructions to her team — roaring after a 3-pointer. And at the end of a long Super Sunday at Nobles, Benigni, the tournament MVP, got to scream in celebration as third-seeded Hamden Hall defeated top-seeded Kimball Union, 55-47.
"I'm a small guard, and I've realized over time, the way you're going to get noticed is by being the loudest one on the court," she said. "So I've made that something that has come alive. I've been the loudest on the court, and as a point guard, you've got to be the leader. So I've got to control the whole team, and I've got to help others and make sure to be loudest, so they can believe in me and I believe in them."
The showdown was a rematch of last year's Class C title bout, when the Hornets (21-6) also prevailed.
MORE GIRLS CHAMPIONS: Class AAA — Hoosac beats New Hampton | Class AA — Darrow beats Worcester Academy | Class A — Sacred Heart beats Loomis Chaffee | Class B Large — Berkshire beats Lawrence Academy
Benigni scored a game-high 27 points. The East Hampton, Conn., native and Quinnipiac commit drilled a deep 3-pointer before the first-quarter buzzer for one of her first emphatic cheers. Against a Kimball Union zone defense that was difficult to solve, she found five 3-pointers.
"She raises the level of competitiveness on our team (in a way) that we have not had in a long time," Hamden Hall coach Brian Johnson said. "That's one thing she does — she demands. She's very demanding. She is a true point guard."
But it wasn't a solo effort. Senior Tessa Porch (8 points) kept the ball moving in the middle of the Hornets' zone offense, while Reilly Chernovetz (14 points) rained down pivotal 3s. Johnson has preached a defensive identity all season — and a play style that harkens back to what he learned as a player growing up in the Bronx — and that style showed up on Sunday.
"This year, we had an extremely good defensive team, and I wanted to make sure I set that precedent," he said. "You saw today. We D'd up. We got a little tired at the end, but that's fine. We D'd up in the end and got it done."
Kimball Union kept the game close the whole way, down to a 37-37 tie after three quarters following a 3-pointer from Leila Portugal (21 points). But Hamden Hall's defense held strong late and Benigni iced the win by making six of eight fourth-quarter free throws.
Benigni joined the Hornets as a transfer this season and immediately became one of B Small's leading stars. She feels the win is a testament to the Hornets' year-long commitment to work.
"It feels great, because I know I put in countless hours and days, and when you really love it and you want it at the end of the day, (anything else) doesn't matter," she said.
