Photo Credit: Baltimore Sun

By Sara Yarnell and Zariah Nelson-Ciriaco

News Editor and Staff Writer

Despite the rocky start to the season, the Hammond girls basketball team is gearing up for a strong postseason performance. 

Coming off of a fairy-tale state championship season last year, expectations for continued success were soaring. But after graduating five seniors, the team is composed of a lot of new faces. 

Senior captain Sara Yarnell is leading the charge. She was a key contributer and the only returning starter from last year’s state championship run, averaging a double-double and was second on the team in minutes. “This year, I hope to set an expectation for success and to follow through on what we set out to achieve,” she says. “Winning at Hammond is anything from dumb luck.” She is currently averaging 18.5 points, 16 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks. 

Alongside Yarnell, other notable returners include junior captain Eva Hardy, junior Alexis Wright and sophomore Maddie Osborn. Each returner is faced with a new, more predominant role on the team and expected to take on a bigger role and responsibility throughout the season. Wright, especially, has taken up the mantle of point guard and led her team to a number of solid wins over in-county teams. Wright is currently averaging a double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds). 

“The season has been going well,” says Coach Jones, in her third-year as head coach at Hammond. “Everyone is growing as a team and considering there are a lot of new faces, we have had to rebuild and get everyone used to what we’re doing. There has been a lot of progress made.” 

However, that progress has only come with continuous hard work on part of both the coaching staff and players. At the beginning of the season, each girl set personal and team goals to measure this progress and keep the team focused and motivated. 

“My goals are to keep developing my skills offensively and defensively to help my team,” says sophomore Khloe Winston. New to the varsity team, Winston has already been making an impact on both ends of the floor, shaping up to be one of the team’s strongest rebounders and post players, currently averaging 6.5 points and 7 rebounds per game. 

Winston led the late-game charge and comeback against Marriotts Ridge, boasting several key rebounds and put-backs. She ended with 11 points and 10 rebounds, with Yarnell and Wright chipping in an additional 25 points to seal the game for the Golden Bears. 

The Hammond Oakland Mills game is always a family affair. The Scorpions came out guns blazing shooting over 30% from three and capitalizing on Hammond turnovers. Yarnell kept the Bears in the game, leading the team with 27 points, 18 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Despite the loss, however, the Golden Bears still fought hard to the end and are setting sights past any individual loss. 

After all, anything can happen in playoffs.