No doubt about it, Hamden No. 1

In 2023, there is no debate as to which girls basketball team is No. 1 in the state.

Hamden rolled to a 27-0 season, capped by the school’s first CIAC girls basketball championship, 63-48 over previously unbeaten Ludlowe in the Class LL final.

Last season, the final poll was more split than any before it with four teams (Notre Dame-Fairfield, SHA, East Hartford and Holy Cross) all receiving first-place votes. But none of those four played each other in the state tournaments.

That wasn’t the case this year, as Hamden played and beat a handful of other Top 10 teams, making it a unanimous pick of the voters in the final poll. Hamden defeated preseason No. 1 Sacred Heart Academy, took over as No. 1 in the first week of January, and never relinquished it.

“We felt the pressure all season, of course, but we tried not to talk about it and focus on the next game,” Hamden coach Amanda Forcucci said. “We always knew it was there but we tried not to focus on being undefeated.

“Is there another word for ‘Amazing’? It’s emotional. We have girls in tears because this means so much to our town and our community.”

Taking out the 2020 and 2021 seasons when no state championships were held, Hamden is the fifth unanimous No. 1 since 2014, following Capital Prep (2014, 2015), New London (2017) and Norwalk (2019).

Hamden had a few scares along the way. The Green Dragons were taken to overtime twice by SHA. They beat Mercy by four. They beat Hand by single digits three times. They rallied from a late deficit to defeat West Haven in the SCC semifinals.

After all those close calls, the Dragons finished the postseason with a flurry, winning the SCC

championship over SHA and four state tournament contests by an average margin of 16 points.

Bad news for the rest of the state, the core of the team are juniors with sisters Alana and Leah Philpotts and Gianna Donnarummo back as well as sophomore defensive sensation Kamora Moore. Hamden should have a good chance to become the first team to repeat as Class LL champions since NFA in 2009 and 2010.

Despite its loss in the LL final, Ludlowe remained the No. 2-ranked team in the final poll.

Class L champion E.O. Smith earned the No. 3 ranking, followed by Class MM champion New

London at No. 4. Class M champion East Hampton

managed to crack the final poll at No. 10.

Dave Phillips/For Hearst Connecticut Media Gianna Donnarummo of Hamden dribbles the ball upcourt against Selah Prignano of Newington during the CIAC Class LL tournament semifinal at Maloney High School in Meriden on March 13.

Dave Phillips/For Hearst Connecticut Media Hamden’s Kamora Moore defends against Isabella Cucuta of Newington during the CIAC Class LL tournament semifinal at Maloney High School in Meriden on March 13.