St. Mary’s Annapolis vs Flint Hill

Recap

By Nicki Kupchan 

Both Flint Hill and St. Mary’s hoped to take advantage of a fresh start in the Capital Hoops Summer League. St. Mary’s went 9-26 last season, finishing sixth in its conference, while Flint Hill finished 9-18 and also placed sixth in its conference.

This game marked a homecoming for Flint Hill’s Dylan Fletcher, who began his high school basketball journey playing JV for Flint Hill before transferring to Highland, where he won a conference championship. Fletcher has now transferred back to Flint Hill, and this was his first game back as a junior for the program where his high school career began.

The game started with both teams finding offensive rhythm early. Flint Hill’s Dilyan Fletcher made his presence felt immediately, scoring six points within the first five minutes, while St. Mary’s Mason Soucy responded with four points of his own. Early in the first half, 6-foot-8 forward Blake Fitzgerald delivered a SportsCenter-worthy block that set the tone for Flint Hill’s defense.

Midway through the first half, Flint Hill held a two-point lead, but both teams struggled offensively. St. Mary’s shot 29 percent and went 0-for-4 from three-point range, while Flint Hill connected on just four field goals.

At halftime, Flint Hill led 28-26. However, both teams continued their sloppy offensive performances, shooting 31 percent and 29 percent, respectively. The lead changed hands six times, and both squads were searching for a player to take control.

To begin the second half, Dylan Fletcher ignited the crowd with a commanding fast-break dunk, but St. Mary’s Noah Cerny answered with a deep three-pointer to stop Flint Hill from building momentum.

Both teams picked up the pace offensively as the half progressed, with St. Mary’s wing Noah Cerny scoring efficiently inside the arc and Fletcher consistently getting to the free-throw line.

Flint Hill’s defense stepped up down the stretch, forcing consecutive stops that allowed Amir Payne and Blake Fitzgerald to help extend the lead to six points with four minutes remaining.

Flint Hill successfully closed out the game, with its defense holding St. Mary’s to just 32 percent shooting from the field. The Huskies hope the summer league victory is an early sign that the program’s trajectory is trending in a positive direction heading into next season.