Thetford
The sensational freshman hit a game-winning 3 pointer at the buzzer and scored 25 points as the Yellowjackets defeated Thetford Academy 60-57 on Friday at Vaughn Gymnasium.
Windsor, which last won a Division III state championship in 2011, improved to 2-0; Thetford played its season opener.
Rockwood’s uncanny performance included her scoring all 13 of Windsor’s overtime points. Her final shot, launched from the top of the key, hit the backboard before falling through.
“We probably didn’t need a three,” Rockwood said moments after the bank shot. “But with the time left, that was the one shot that was there, so I took it. I knew from my release it was good. … and hopefully going in.”
Rockwood and company had to hustle the ball back up the floor after Thetford’s Taylor Hollis hit a deep 2-pointer to tie the game with 6.2 seconds remaining.
“I knew that I had (little) time,” Rockwood said. “I knew I had to get the ball up fast, but had to make sure I set my feet and got a good shot.”
Windsor coach Bruce Mackay credited Rockwood for keeping herself in the game despite playing with four fouls for all of overtime and much of the fourth quarter.
“She’s smart,” Mackey said. “She hung in there, still played good defense and didn’t foul out.”
The freshman filled a void left by Windsor’s senior point guard Ashleay Wilcox, who fouled out with 1:16 in regulation. She scored 11 points and dished out five rebounds before heading to the bench.
“Once Wilcox fouled out I knew I had to take control and get things going,” Rockwood said. “So I stepped it up.”
Mackay said he wasn’t surprised by Rockwood’s breakout performance.
“She’s going to be a quality player for four years,” he said. “She does a lot of nice things, keeps her head together most of the time, finishes, shoots her foul shoots well and plays good defense.”
Junior Kate Vaughn led Thetford with 12 points — all in the second half and overtime — off the bench. Regan Covey chipped in 10 points and seven rebounds in the losing cause.
Covey and fellow starter Emily Emerson (six points) both fouled out late in the contest.
The Panthers return to the hardwood this season with high hopes after making it to the Vermont Division III semifinals or better in each of the last five years. TA won it all in 2014 and finished as the runner-up the past two seasons.
Thetford’s veteran coach, Eric Ward, understands the long haul that awaits his team regardless of how things play out.
“I told the girls it’s a 20-game season,” Ward said. “The playoffs don’t start today. We’ll learn from this. The pressure’s off, no undefeated season, so we can go out and play basketball. … And in 11 days, we go down to Windsor, so we have a rematch.”
The TA coach also downplayed the dramatic conclusion to Friday’s contest.
“We didn’t lose the game with (Rockwood) hitting the 3-pointer at the end,” Ward said. “We didn’t play well in the first half. If we had been better, we probably would have been up 10 or 12 points.”
As it was, the Panthers committed 21 turnovers in the first half. Windsor tied the game with a 7-1 run prior to intermission.
Free throws played a major role: The Yellowjackets made 24 of their 32 free throw attempts and Thetford converted 9 of 20.