November 8th 2026 The Hamilton Lady Marines traveled two hours south to Tri-Central on Saturday for a four-team tournament and returned home with a season-opening victory, a runner-up finish, and plenty to build on. Throughout both games, Hamilton showed the toughness and resilience the program is working to establish—battling through early deficits and giving itself a chance to win in the closing seconds. Hamilton 23, Wes-Del 21 Hamilton’s season opener began slowly, with the Marines trailing 12–3 after the first quarter. The girls responded by cutting the deficit to 18–12 at halftime, then used a strong defensive third quarter to pull within 19–16. The Marines continued to chip away in the fourth. Lilli Dager scored on a post move with 1:20 remaining to bring Hamilton within 21–20. After a defensive stop, Hamilton regained possession with approximately 30 seconds left. Gianna Ceci was fouled with roughly 25 seconds remaining and calmly knocked down both free throws to give Hamilton a 22–21 lead. On the next possession, Brenna Mercer deflected a pass, and Ceci dove onto the loose ball to force a jump ball. The possession arrow gave Hamilton the ball with 15 seconds remaining. Lydia Hicks was then fouled and made her first free throw to extend the lead to 23–21. Hamilton sealed the victory by forcing a steal on Tri-Central’s final possession. The win marked Hamilton’s first season-opening victory since 2004, when current assistant coach Haley Manahan was a senior starter on the team. Hamilton received contributions throughout the lineup: Lydia Hicks: 6 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 5 steals Lilli Dager: 6 points and 2 rebounds Gianna Ceci: 5 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 assists Heidi Richter: 2 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists Brenna Mercer: 2 points and 11 rebounds Sloan Hurraw: 2 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 steals Kenna Grace: 2 rebounds Championship: Frontier 30, Hamilton 29 The championship game was a back-and-forth battle from start to finish. Frontier led 10–7 after the first quarter, but Hamilton narrowed the deficit to 15–13 at halftime. The Marines moved ahead in the third quarter, taking a 23–22 lead into the fourth. Frontier reclaimed the lead and held a 30–26 advantage with under a minute remaining. Once again, Hamilton refused to go away. Hicks came up with a steal, drew a foul, and made her first free throw to bring the Marines within three. Ceci then intercepted a pass and was fouled, knocking down both free throws to cut Frontier’s lead to 30–29. Hamilton forced a contested layup attempt and secured the rebound with 4.7 seconds remaining. The Marines advanced the ball to half court with 1.7 seconds left, setting up one final opportunity following a timeout. Hamilton executed the final play nearly to perfection, coming just inches away from a buzzer-beater and the tournament championship. Ceci recorded a double-double to lead Hamilton: Gianna Ceci: 12 points and 10 rebounds Sloan Hurraw: 8 points, including two three-pointers, and 5 rebounds Lydia Hicks: 3 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals Brenna Mercer: 3 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists Lilli Dager: 2 points and 4 rebounds Heidi Richter: 1 point, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists Building a Culture Through Effort The coaching staff was especially pleased with the girls’ effort and their response to adversity in both games. When Hamilton fell behind, the players kept their heads up, stayed together, and continued competing. That response reflects the culture being built within Hamilton basketball and throughout the school. The ability to keep playing, support teammates, and respond with determination is something the program emphasizes every day. On Saturday, the Lady Marines put those lessons into action. Hamilton returns to the road Thursday for a 6 p.m. matchup against Churubusco’s JV team. Leaders Lead. Go Marines!