Martlets Defeat Hopkins

Looking to earn their second win of the week, the Martlets committed to playing with poise on the offensive end and intensity on the defensive end. After Hopkins jumped out to an early lead, Charlotte Evanko ‘29 helped settle Westminster in by converting an open 3 point look and serving as a strong back line in our defensive zone. Gianna Monaco ‘27 and Kaitlyn Buda ‘27 also found their groove in the second quarter, finding open looks, and drive and kick opportunities for their teammates, including a McKenna ‘27 three pointer. Both Buda and Monaco scored 8 points in the half, but the Martlets entered halftime trailing by 1. In the second half, Delia Lockwood ‘26 took on the challenge of limiting Hopkins’s biggest scoring threat and with help from Evanko ‘29, each inside shot was well contested and defensive rebounds were secured. Meanwhile, Monaco and Parker Perillo ‘26 helped turn up the pace in our transition offense, creating several scoring opportunities before the Hilltoppers could set their defense. In the fourth quarter, the Martlets had five different players score, including another 3 pointer from McKenna, a strong finish by Lockwood, and Perillo’s first points of the game, ultimately closing the gap and sending the game to overtime. Spurred on by a supportive crowd, Buda scored the first points of the overtime and from there the Martlet defense took over, limiting Hopkins to only 1 point in the four minutes of extra time. Monaco, Buda, and Perillo found themselves at the foul line in the closing minutes, but maintained their composure and went 5 out of 6, putting the game out of reach. When the buzzer sounded, the Martlets rushed their home court for the second time this week to celebrate the hard fought victory. Evanko ‘29 was the recipient of the team chain for her gritty defense, timely shot blocks, and facilitation on the offensive end. Westminster will look forward to another two home games next week, starting with Williston on Wednesday.