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# Nashua South girls basketball taking advantage of its strengths
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/nashua-south-girls-basketball-taking-advantage-strengths/
- Published: 2017-12-28T13:42:46.000Z
- Updated: 2017-12-28T13:42:46.000Z
- Description: NASHUA - Dave Hogan knows exactly what he's got with the Nashua High School South girls basketball team, and he knows exactly how to use it. The Panthers are a team of athletes, according to their coach, and with so many of them on the roster who can contribute in their own way, Hogan is comfortable
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division I, Chick-Fil-A Holiday Tournament, girls basketball, Nashua South, NH High School Sports Insider, slider, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

NASHUA - Dave Hogan knows exactly what he's got with the Nashua High School South girls basketball team, and he knows exactly how to use it.

The Panthers are a team of athletes, according to their coach, and with so many of them on the roster who can contribute in their own way, Hogan is comfortable having them play an uptempo style of basketball.

"We’re trying to run and keep going," he said. "If someone handles our press, that’s great, we’re going to keep trying. We’re trying to play to our strengths. We’re not a superior basketball team, but we have great athletes. They’re multisport athletes and A-students.

"We’ve got a lot of smart kids. Let’s rely on athleticism, not basketball skills. We’re not making it a shoot-around. We’re making it a track meet and go forward from there."

South made it work in Wednesday's Chick-Fil-A Holiday Tournament, as the Panthers went on a 20-1 run in the second and third quarters to pull away from Keene for a 49-39 win. That run was fueled by creating turnovers in transition and making the most of South's good looks at the basket at the other end.

"We’re going to miss shots," Hogan said. "If you look at our shooting percentage, you’ll laugh. We’re getting good shots, we’re underneath the basket, we’re just not good enough yet. But we’re working on it. Instead of spending all my time running plays (in practice), let’s teach them how to finish."

But perhaps the most unique feature about this year's South squad is who is on the floor making plays for the Panthers. In the win over Keene, South's leading scorers were two freshmen - Aryanna Murray with 13 points and Maya Rioux with nine - and in crunch time, Hogan had sophomores and freshmen getting big minutes.

"They don’t shy away from a challenge either," said Amber Hedquist, the team's lone senior and a co-captain. "They don’t play like freshmen and they don’t subject to that mentality. We’re changing our culture this year, which is exciting. It’s different for sure. It’s something we haven’t had in the past and it’s a positive."

Fellow co-captain Kendall Bush, a junior, feels that the number of younger players who were able to contribute right away has helped the team's veterans raise their own level of play.

"I think it’s been awesome because we have more people pushing us in practice," she said. "We all get along really well. It’s been great and it’s good to see the program growing.

"Not only do we have a deep bench, but I feel we’re much more in shape this year. We’re always pushing each other in practice and it shows in games. Teams break down in the third or fourth quarter and we’re still coming at them."

Hogan, who took over as head coach just before the start of the season, knows that developing that youth is going to be big for South beyond this year, when Dan Wyborney returns to resume his position with the varsity.

"We’ve got a lot of young kids, sophomores and freshmen, and the idea is to build for the future," Hogan said. "We don’t really run an offense because we’re not basketball players. We get up and down the floor, and we have to do certain little things so that later on, we learn how to run plays. What I’m trying to get them to do is be more instinctive."

South will try to take another step toward that goal at 2 p.m. Thursday, as the Panthers take on Campbell in the first girls semifinal of the tournament at South.