MANCHESTER, NH – With a gritty win in its penultimate game of the 2023-’24 regular season, the Trinity High School girls basketball team positioned itself to finish the campaign strong.
“This has been a learning curve year, for sure, having no seniors and only one starting junior,” said third-year Trinity head coach Kevin Fraser. “We went into the season knowing that being such a young team that there would be a lot of ups and downs.”
The Pioneers latest contest was the latest example of that undeniable dynamic.
Up 20 points in the second half against 1-14 Spaulding of Rochester last Thursday night, Trinity nearly let the all-but-assured triumph slip to a two-possession nail-biter, though the young team did clutch up when it mattered most to secure the 63-55 victory.
The reality that the game, Trinity’s last home matchup of the season, would have traditionally been celebrated as Senior Night, highlights the relative youth and inexperience of the squad.
“First, we had to learn to play together as most of the team had never played together before, and secondly we have been struggling to find consistency through games,” said Fraser. “We have had our moments in every game where we showed great improvements, but then we have also had stretches in every game where all that disappears. I guess that’s where being young comes into play.”
Now 2-15, the Pioneers close the season at 1-15 Winnacunnet in Hampton tomorrow at 6 p.m.
“I believe that having a chance to win the last two will hopefully provide the girls with motivation to work hard in the offseason, so that we can start off next season strong,” said Fraser. “Really, it comes down to the girls putting in the work and believing in themselves.”