Hahn helps Hun get past Freire Charter for a win
PRINCETON » Kiera Hahn and the Hun School varsity girls’ basketball team have been through a lot over the last four years.
This season, head coach Bill Holup’s squad has gotten a little younger, leaving a veteran like Hahn, a 5-foot-8 senior guard/forward, with a decision.
In an age when most seniors want to go out with a bang and become the team’s big scorer, Hahn was quite content to adjust her role to do whatever her team needed.
She filled that new role well Tuesday as the Raiders returned from a 26-day hiatus to defeat Philadelphia’s Freire Charter, 49-24, to improve to 4-5 on the season.
“I do like it,” Hahn said of her role as one of the team’s elder stateswomen. “I stepped into the role as captain this year. We’re young and still trying to figure out everyone’s roles.”
Hun’s 23rd-year head coach Holup is quite content with Hahn’s interpretation of her role, especially with only one other senior, Lily L’Oiseau, and one postgraduate, Erin Maguire, on the roster.
“Kiera’s the ultimate team player,” Holup said. “She just wants to compete and have fun. She does whatever is asked of her.”
Though a very capable scorer and ball handler, Hahn has had the luxury of playing with two of Maguire sisters, Enya, back in 2019-20, and Erin this season. Each of those postgrads from Ireland have been sharp shooting guards and dribblers, which frees Hahn up to do a lot of her damage off the ball.
Against Freire Charter, that meant helping to control the tempo by hauling in 11 defensive rebounds to go with five assists, three points and one steal. Her one basket was part of back-to-back treys with Erin Maguire during a 17-second span in the first quarter as Hun stretched its lead to 18-2.
“Which is fine with me,” Hahn said in reference to not having to handle the scoring load. “If we get the win, it’s a good day for me.”
With Maguire connecting on 23 points, including six 3-point field goals (which tied a season high), and 5-10 junior forward Sasha Moise adding six points and six rebounds, Hahn put her focus elsewhere and helped the Raiders hold down the Dragons when the visitors began to play much better in the second half, led by Destiny Davis’ eight points and Danaijah Wise’s seven points.
“I just want the girls to play with more energy and enthusiasm,” Holup
said. “I told them, ‘With COVID still out there, you don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. So enjoy the moment.’”
As she prepares to pursue a business major in college, Hahn is trying to do that by steering her team back onto a winning track, any way she can help it out.