Ten seconds. That’s all the time it took for the Hanover High girls’ basketball team to put points on the board in its regular-season finale at Hingham on Tuesday night.

Junior center Meaghan Rabb effortlessly won the opening tip and tapped the ball back to junior point guard Megan Dixon. Rabb sprinted to the right block, collected an entry pass, and tickled the twine with a hook shot.

Quick scores and transition offense have been the keys for head coach Brian Fisher and the Indians, who capped a 20-0 regular-season run with a 54-48 win over the hosts.

“We like to get into a pace and get into a rhythm and once you get into that rhythm, we’re very hard to beat,’’ Fisher said. “If you do it well and do it successfully, you’re going to get points.’’

With the state tournament set to tip off this week, coaches and players alike understand the importance of tempo. The formula is simple: control the tempo, control the game. The frenetic pace picks up during the tourney. And the teams that can adapt and stay compoosed will keep on playing.

To better prepare his team for the tourney, Fisher lined up a scrimmage last Saturday against Kristen McDonnell’s two-time defending Division 1 state champion Braintree High squad.

Braintree won by about 10 points, but both sides were able to try out new plays and strategies.

The Wamps (20-0) also navigated the season unscathed, extending their winning streak to 61 straight games.

Her team’s deep bench allows McDonnell to heighten the pace.

“I don’t think there are too many teams out there that have the talent that we have,’’ McDonnell said.

This season, junior guard Keelah Dixon (15 points per game) sets the pace, thriving at connecting with teammates in transition in the drive-and-kick game.

“She’s been making incredible decisions,’’ McDonnell said.

A skilled decision-maker is a must to play up-tempo, and over the past decade, Fisher has seen more and more players emerge ready to take on that responsibility.

“Girls’ basketball has almost changed to an extent,’’ Fisher said. “You see teams in college . . . they like to get out and run.’’

Laney Clement-Holbrook, in her 40th season at the girls’ coach at Oliver Ames in North Easton, remembers a very different game from the version she played as a girl in the 1960s.

Players are quicker, more athletic, and with more coaching, better skilled.

“The kids are getting more opportunity to play,’’ said Clement-Holbrook, the state’s winningest coach in girls’ basketball with 641 career victories.

“They’re starting a lot younger and getting skills earlier.’’

Clement-Holbrook relies on Francesca Calabraro to set the tone for the 17-3 Tigers. The junior guard leads the Tigers in steals, and is adept at turning those turnovers into points on the other end.

“Her steal-to-point ratio is what she’s all about,’’ Clement-Holbrook says. OA is allowing a Hockomock League-low 35 points per game.

At Norwood High, junior Meghan Reen establishes the pace from the point.

“She likes to push the tempo a lot and she’s very good in the open floor at finding the open man,’’ said coach Amy Lepley, of the 1,000-point career scorer, who is averageing 16.7 points and five assists per game.

Lepley’s squad lacks size, so pushing the tempo is a natural alternative to halfcourt sets. Her biggest focus entering the postseason is making sure the Mustangs (14-6) are able to look for outlet passes while still keeping opponents off the offensive glass.

“We have a very small team, so we have to try and get out in transition,’’ Lepley said.

Defending Division 3 champion Archbishop Williams has a similar size problem with the graduation of 6-3 center Jaylen Williams.

Coach Matt Mahoney’s solution: play as fast as possible.

“I like that pace better myself; I’m more used to that style,’’ Mahoney said. “This year we did it because we’re so small.’’

Sophomore guard Asiah Dingle, pivotal in setting the pace with her speed, averages 17 points and five assists per game.

The Bishops’ 12-7 record may not look menacing, but it’s worth noting that 5-10 senior forward Katryna Veasey was sidelined 10 games with an ankle injury. While rehabbing, Veasey focused on keeping her conditioning on par with the uptempo assault.

“We had to push things a little more. Playing taller opponents, it’s a little harder to play offense,’’ Veasey said.

The Indians have a luxury with the 6-2 Rabb. Many centers dread getting up and down the floor in transition, but Rabb excels, which opens up opportunities for easy transition lay-ins.

“I love running the floor . . . you never get bored. You’re always moving somewhere,’’ said Rabb, who tallied 8 points against Hingham.

“Sometimes people don’t see me cutting backdoor.’’

Many of her finishes are off direct feeds from Dixon.

“It’s a one-and-done situation [in the tournament]. I just have to prepare myself,’’ Dixon said. “We have to win. If we don’t, I feel like it’s on me.’’

Although the Indians escaped with a win over the Harbormen, Fisher was not thrilled with the way his group handled the tournament-like atmosphere of the regular season finale.

“I think we pushed the ball well but I don’t think we did a good job in transition because we turned the ball over too much and were a little too quick taking shots,’’ Fisher said.

“We learned our lesson here a little bit,’’ Fisher said as his team celebrated behind him in the Hingham gym. “This can only make us tougher.’’

Courtside chatter

Five boys’ basketball teams to watch in the MIAA tournament:

¦ Brockton (12-7; D1 South): After starting 1-3, the Bulldogs turned things around following the lead of 6-foot-3 senior guard Jonathan Duvivier (21 ppg.).

¦ Foxborough (17-4; D2 South): Senior guards Alex DuBrow and Jason Procaccini each average 15-plus points per game.

¦ Old Rochester (16-3; D3 South): The Bulldogs will lean on big men Matt Valles and Grant Reuter to make a run at repeating as state champs. “We hang our hats on our defense,’’ said coach Steve Carvahlo.

¦ Rockland (17-2; D3 South): Senior Stephen Norris is a game-changer for the Bulldogs — he poured in 45 points against Hull earlier this season.

¦ Whitman-Hanson (18-2; D2 South): The Patriot League champs boast a deep and experienced roster, headlined by 6-foot-4 senior forward Josh Rice.

Five girls’ basketball teams to watch in the MIAA tournament:

¦ Braintree (20-0, D1 South): The Wamps will make a run at a three-peat in Division 1 behind junior guard Keelah Dixon (15 ppg.) and senior forward Brianna Herlihy (14.6).

¦ Hanover (19-0, D3 South): All five starters were Patriot League All-Stars. “It’s not too often you get a team like this,’’ said coach Brian Fisher.

¦ Mansfield (18-2, D1 South): Caroline Maher can shoot it, Meg Hill is a force in the paint and junior point guard Jen Peel runs the show for the Hornets, who allow just 37 points per game.

¦ Quincy (17-2, D1 South): University of Rhode Island recruit Nicole Jorgensen (23 points, 18 rebounds per game) is a tough matchup in the post.

¦ Westwood (18-1, D2 South): Tri-Valley All-Stars Andrea Meincke and Cailin Harrington headline a balanced group. “It can be a different leading scorer every night,’’ said coach Katherine Clifford .

Matt MacCormack can be reached at mattmaccormack@globe.com.