And yet, the Spartans were a play and/or shot from defeating an excellent 5A team Saturday afternoon. Credit the team’s relentless drive, determination and character for that.

Maddie Smith matched a career-high with 28 points, Vivian Draper (10 points, 11 rebounds) collected a double-double and Kendall Hamm scored 11 points with eight boards as Hughesville dropped a 63-62 season-opening heartbreaker against Dallas. The Mountaineers return four starters from a team which reached the 5A state tournament for a second straight season last winter and standout guard Molly Walsh returned from a torn ACL following a superb 2024 campaign.

And, yet with everything that went wrong against the District 2 title contenders, Hughesville nearly made it all right at the end. A brilliant Smith coast-to-coast drive tied the game, 62-62 with 14 seconds remaining, but Malaysia Shaw hit a clutch free throw seven seconds later and Riley Samanas made game-clinching steal as Dallas won a thriller between teams with big ambitions this year.

“That’s a great team to start off with. It shows us what we have to work on; what we did well,” Smith said after adding seven rebounds and five steals. “It was a good game by both teams and our team played its heart out. That’s a great team and we only lost by one. We just go back to practice again Monday and get back at it.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville's Vivian Draper (34) attempts to shoot around a pair of Dallas defenders during a high school girls basketball game at Hughesville on Saturday.

Hughesville went at it with furious vigor which has become its trademark the past two seasons while winning 47 games, including a district championship and three state tournament contests. And on a day it felt like nothing would fall, that quality nearly was enough.

In a game which featured 83 combined free throws and six players fouling out (4 from Dallas, 2 from Hughesville), the Spartans never wavered. Neither did Dallas with the Mounties turning a five-point fourth quarter deficit into a six-point lead before Hughesville erased a six-point deficit with two minutes remaining, tying it one last time.

The Spartans tried trapping Shaw in the backcourt following Smith’s game-tying basket and a timeout but a foul was called and Shaw made the second of two shots. Samanas then intercepted a pass near midcourt and was fouled with 0.5 seconds remaining, allowing Hughesville no time to put up a shot as time expired following a missed second free throw.

Still, it was amazing that Hughesville had a chance to win when one looks at the shooting numbers. The Spartans made just 21.7 % from the field, 16 % from behind the arc (4 of 25) and missed 21 of 49 free throw attempts. The shooting can come and go, but effort can be a constant and, while disappointed with the outcome, Hughesville knows it sure can overcome a lot of adversity going forward.

“We have to go out there and we have to play for us and play together, and know the next person behind you has your back. We did that,” Smith said. “We didn’t pick up the win but it was a great effort by us and I think it’s only going to help us get better.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville's Kylie Temple (3) defends during a high school girls basketball game against Dallas at Hughesville on Saturday.

It wasn’t like Hughesville was putting up bad shots either. The Spartans worked the ball inside and outside and did a quality job setting up teammates. They constantly generated good looks at the basket, whether in the paint or on the perimeter, while also doing outstanding work getting to the rim.

In that sense, there is not much Hughesville needs to fix offensively going forward. It simply has to put the ball in the basket more and, if Hughesville keeps earning the shot attempts it did Saturday, that likely will happen.

“The way they hustle and fly to the ball and the way they swarm, you’re going to have a chance against a lot of teams. Offensively, we can fix those shots,” Hughesville coach Dustin King said. “Hopefully, we don’t have another shooting night like this but I like the way they were being aggressive. Playing downhill like that is great; I liked the inside-outside. We had good motion, we just couldn’t anything to fall, but we had good looks.”

Sophomore Odessa Kanton, a 6-foot-3 forward, gave Hughesville fits and scored a game-high 30 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter. She also pulled down 10 rebounds, while Walsh had 17 points, 8 steals and four assists.

Walsh twice quickly answered when Hughesville took third quarter leads and Kanton scored seven points during that 11-0 run which put Dallas up, 60-54. Again, though, Hughesville fought off the ropes. Hamm (8 rebounds, 5 steals) hit a clutch jumper to make it, 60-57 following an Allyssa King (7 rebounds, 4 steals) free throw.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville's Vivian Draper and Anna Easton battle for control of a loose ball during a high school girls basketball game against Dallas at Hughesville on Saturday.

After Kanton hit two big foul shots, Hamm made a steal, was fouled and drained both shots, pulling the Spartans within, 62-60. Smith then rebounded a missed foul shot at the 20-second mark and raced up court. Kanton was the only defender in her path and, knowing the sophomore had four fouls, Smith went right at her. She made a fabulous up and under move, converting the basket and tying the game, 62-62 as both her teammates and the Spartans fans erupted with joy as a timeout was called.

“I was just trying to take it at her. Even if I didn’t make it I probably would have gotten fouled and that would have been her fifth,” Smith said. “Either way, she was out, so I was just trying to take it right at her and hope that it went in and celebrate with my team and that’s what happened.”

“Maddie kept going to the rim. Some of her inside looks were great and she was making some really good passes tonight,” King said. “Overall, her decision-making with the basketball was great. You can see how much she’s matured from year to year. She kept playing. She didn’t stop.”

Neither did her teammates.

Despite giving up some height, Hughesville dominated the boards and outrebounded Dallas, 50-29. Six players grabbed at least six rebounds, including Anna Easton who finished with seven points, 10 boards and three assists. Kylie Temple was electric off the bench, providing six rebounds and three steals.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville's Casey Schultz (22) attempts to shoot during a high school girls basketball game against Dallas at Hughesville on Saturday.

The saving grace in Hughesville missing so many shots from the field was that a hustling Spartan often was there to rebound it, creating second and third-chance scoring opportunities.

“They played tough. This game was great for us because some of these girls haven’t been in this situation yet,” King said. “They’ve been on the team, but they haven’t been in that situation, so these games are really going to help us going forward.”

Neither team led by more than six points the entire game and none was up more than five in the first half. Smith gave the team a big spark before halftime, catching a Hamm pass just in front of halfcourt and draining a buzzer-beating 3-pointer which pulled Hughesville within 32-30 at halftime.

The game’s outcome was not what Hughesville wanted, but the experience was. From a negative could grow a positive and, in the big picture, that’s what matters most.

“For the first game of the season, you want it be one that they will learn from and grow from,” King said. “I’m extremely happy with their effort and their attitude and Monday we’ll just get back to work.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville's Maddie Smith (10) heads into the paint during a high school girls basketball game against Dallas at Hughesville on Saturday.

DALLAS (63)

Mia DelGaudio 3 2-3 8, Odessa Kanton 9 9-12 30, Brianna Casey 1 0-0 2, Caitlyn Mizzer 2 0-0 4, Molly Walsh 4 7-7 17, Malaysia Shaw 0 2-4 2, Riley Samanas 0 0-2 0, Lyla Wydra 0 0-4 0. Totals 20 20-34 63.

HUGHESVILLE (62)

Maddie Smith 8 11-16 28, Vivian Draper 5 5-12 10, Kendall Hamm 5 6-8 11, Anna Easton 1 5-11 7, Allyssa King 2 1-2 6, Casey Schultz 0 0-0 0, Kylie Temple 0 0-0 0, Tori Morgan 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 28-49 62.

Dallas 11 21 17 14–63

Hughesville 10 20 17 15–62

3-pointers: Dallas 3 (Walsh 2, Kanton); Hughesville 4 (Smith, Draper, Hamm, King).

Records: Dallas 1-0. Hughesville 0-1.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville's Vivian Draper (12) moves towards the paint during a high school girls basketball game against Dallas at Hughesville on Saturday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville's Maddie Smith (10) chases a loose ball during a high school girls basketball game against Dallas at Hughesville on Saturday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville's Vivian Draper (12) looks for a shot during a high school girls basketball game against Dallas at Hughesville on Saturday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville's Anna Easton (33) snags a rebound during a high school girls basketball game against Dallas at Hughesville on Saturday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville's Vivian Draper (12) tries to gain possession of a loose ball during a high school girls basketball game against Dallas at Hughesville on Saturday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville's Kendall Hamm (12) brings the ball downcourt during a high school girls basketball game against Dallas at Hughesville on Saturday.