The Hopedale Blue Raiders girls’ team made a loud statement Tuesday night in the D5 Round of 16, defeating Prospect Hill and moving into the quarterfinals with momentum and a balanced attack. Hopedale entered the game as the No. 2 seed and took care of business after a competitive first half that had the Blue Raiders leading by only three at intermission.
Senior leader Phoebe Carroll poured in 27 points and hauled down 12 rebounds while controlling much of the paint. Jenna Weeden knocked down four three-pointers in a 13-point night and stretched the defense. Layla Huntly cleaned the glass with 12 rebounds to fuel second-chance opportunities and keep Hopedale’s offense humming.
Up next for Hopedale is a difficult quarterfinal matchup with Minuteman Regional. Minuteman posted a flawless 20-0 regular-season record and has already handled Hull and Mahar Regional in narrow playoff wins, so the upcoming game will be Hopedale’s biggest test yet. The Blue Raiders will lean on their top performers and the depth that showed up in this Round of 16 victory as they prepare for the challenge ahead.
