Natick Girls’ Quintet Has a Bright Future

It’s April and spring sports are about to dominate the headlines, but the Natick High girls’ basketball team deserves another look because of its upside for the future.
Coach Dan Hinnenkamp’s Redhawks, featuring a roster laden with underclassmen, finished their regular season at 14-6 and entered the playoffs with a sense of confidence after a quality, late-season win over Walpole. Unfortunately, youth did not prevail in the post-season as Natick bowed out early, losing in the opening round to Worcester North, 67-63.
But, this team bears watching in the years ahead because it has some semblance to Hinnenkamp’s 2015-16 squad that got healthy and peaked at the right time. Senior players like Justine Gaziano, now playing at Brown, Jess Sweeney and Zoey Gifford propelled the 2015-16 Redhawks to a sectional title and they finished as state runners-up after losing to Bishop Feehan. Reflecting on Natick’s 2016-17 team provides some clues to what could be another powerhouse down the road.
“We were a young team that had two good post players,’’ Hinnenkamp noted. “We also had capable shooters inside and on the perimeter. I wish we were a bit quicker on the break but we were effective in a half-court offense. Winning 14 games in spite of our youth was a plus.’’
Natick opened its season with what Hinnenkamp calls “some average wins.’’ Then, in the middle of the season, Natick met the iron and bowed to Walpole, Newton North, Wellesley and Braintree.
“We got smacked around pretty good,’’ Hinnenkamp recalled. “But, we got better and we held our heads high. Toward the latter part of the season, we got a statement win over Walpole, beating them by four. We had hit a level of play that got us excited about our offense and defense.’’
The pair of post players Hinnenkamp relied on were senior captain Skylar Schmid, who’ll play at Vassar next winter, and freshman Brenna McDonald. Both standing 6-foot-1, they displayed offensive skills and tenacity on the boards. Schmid averaged 9 points and 5 rebounds an outing while McDonald scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds a game.
“Down low, Skylar could turn left or right and get up a shot,’’ Hinnenkamp said. “She also got good position for rebounds. Brenna has a good mid-range jump shot, finishes strong down low and improved as the season moved along. She’s a natural athlete. She scored 32 points and had 20 rebounds in two different games.’’
Sophomore point guard Claire Gaziano, Justine’s sister, averaged 10 points, 3 assists and 3 rebounds a game. The 5-foot-10 guard will direct Natick’s offense for two more years. “Claire has great court vision, is a good ball-handler who’s got confidence and is comfortable at the point,’’ Hinnenkamp said. “She’s a pass-first guard who’s still improving.’’
Another underclassman, soph guard Mia Grunberg, may have averaged only 4 points and 3 rebounds a game but her defense is her calling card. “Mia is our defensive stopper,’’ Hinnenkamp noted. “She’s quick and instinctive, which is why we assign her to defend our opponents’ top guards.’’
Three senior guards — captains Emily Marston and Emma Lagan and Erin Brown — were off-and-on starters who contributed to Natick’s successful run to the tourney.
“Emily provided lots of intensity on defense and displayed strong instincts,’’ Hinnenkamp said. “Emma tore her ACL for the second time but came back and played, although sparingly. She’s strong on defense and drives to the hoop well. If healthy, she would have been a three-year starter. Erin was tenacious on offense. She could drive and release her shot quickly — a great sparkplug off the bench.’’
Two sophs who’ll no doubt play major roles for Natick in the next two years are guards Hailey Murphy and Makenna Range. “Hailey got about six starts,’’ Hinnenkamp recalled. “She’s a very good all-around player who can defend, drive and shoot threes. Makenna was one of our best three-point shooters.’’
“Coming into the season we didn’t know what to expect because we were so young,’’ Hinnenkamp said. “We qualified for the tourney because of the competition in the Bay State Conference. You’re tested every game. We were underdogs most of the time during the year, but we seemed to jell in the latter part of the regular season.’’
“Wait till next year’’ is a familiar phrase for teams that usually don’t fare well. For Natick, however, it’s a positive refrain because McDonald, Gaziano, Murphy and Range all bring a variety of assets to the table.
And, if the Redhawks can maintain good health, that table just might be a piece of furniture that plays a role in a Natick feast next season that’s spiced with playoff success.