Waltham High girls basketball squad qualifies for state tournament

When the Waltham High School (WHS) girls basketball team kicked off its 2024-25 campaign in December, each player on the team completed a survey to lay out their goals for the season.

Across the group there was a common top objective: qualify for the postseason.

The Hawks achieved that goal on Feb. 16 with a narrow 40-37 victory over Lynnfield at the new WHS gymnasium. Waltham concludes its regular season with an even 10-10 record, positioning the team perfectly for a spot in the MIAA Girls Basketball Division 1 State Tournament bracket.

“The players put in a lot of work to get there,” Hawks head coach Marc Lovett said. “We reflected on our individual goals and team goals the week before we got our 10th victory. I feel really happy for them that they accomplished it. It’s not an easy thing to do.”

WHS will travel to Arlington for a preliminary round matchup with the Spy Ponders at 7 p.m. on Wednesday night. The winner will advance to face top-seeded Wachusett Regional High School in the Round of 32.

“The 20-game season is a grind, and there are ups and downs,” Lovett said. “The players persevered, and we are looking forward to the challenge. It’s pretty cool to get to 10 wins and get to the tournament. It doesn’t happen every year, so it’s exciting.”

The goal-setting mentality has provided a great way for Lovett and his staff to guide individual player development and make sure each athlete is staying on the right path toward a successful season. It sets a good example for coaches in any sport on how to ensure each contributor feels like their leaders are looking out for them.

“We’ll do individual check-ins at the beginning of the season, the middle of the season and at the end of the season, talking about individual and team goals and how coaches can help them get there,” Lovett said. “It’s a good way for us to reference, ‘Hey, these are things that we have said we want to accomplish,’ and how we can put in the work to get there.”

The Hawks have certainly seen strides from key pieces of the group. Junior Avery Leeman has been lighting it up from beyond the arc, setting a program record with eight 3-point makes in a game against Wayland. The captain also netted 21-point and 19-point single-game efforts.

“She has carried the load in terms of scoring,” Lovett said.

Junior Sarah Valere has been a big help for the Hawks on the glass with eight rebounds per game while classmate Quinn Gavin has provided clutch shot-making.

“We have had a lot of games that we call rock fights,” Lovett said. “We’re hanging our hat on defense, and it has been a true team effort. We play off each other really well and complement each other with our different skills and abilities.”