Izzy Wilmott
Izzy Wilmott

Thetford — One more win and the Thetford Academy girls basketball team can count on a top-two spot in the upcoming Vermont Division III state tournament.

Taylor Hollis hit a pair of first-quarter 3-pointers and Izzy Wilmott delivered four trifectas on the night as the Panthers rolled to a 64-40 win over Oxbow at Mona Garone Gym. Should Thetford (14-5) record a victory over Randolph in its season finale on Wednesday, the Panthers would guarantee the second seed in D-III behind Windsor come next week’s playoffs.

Wilmott (12 points) and Hollis (11) both had career-high nights for TA. Four Panthers hit for double figures, with Regan Covey producing a game-high 16 points and Emily Emerson adding 10.

“They really pressed us, full-court man,” Oxbow coach Barry Emerson said, “and we didn’t respond well to it.”

The Olympians did get a highlight-reel night from forward Kaysea Neil. The sophomore, who entered the night averaging 2.9 points per game, netted a season- and team-best 12 point and hit her first 3-point basket of the season.

Alex Giesing contributed 10 points for the O’s (7-12), who wrap their regular season at home against Harwood on Wednesday night.

Williamstown 58, South Royalton 31

Williamstown, Vt. — The Blue Devils held the royals (6-12) to just 10 points through the first three quarters, stalling the visitors’ strong start.

“We hung with them for the first 4½ minutes of the game; we went in with a game plan we thought might be effective,” South Royalton coach Dave Davis said. “We executed it really well, and then all of a sudden the wheels fell off the bus. It took me two quarters to shake them back (into it).”

Iris Hudson buried two 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 10 points for the Royals. Grace Pease and Emma Hudson both scored eight points for South Royalton, which closes its regular season at rival Chelsea on Thursday night.

Nordic Skiing

Woodstock’s Bassette Near Top Again

Craftsbury, Vt. — Woodstock High’s Matthew Bassette recorded his second top-four finish of the Vermont Division II cross country ski championships by taking fifth place in Monday’s five-kilometer freestyle race at the Craftsbury Nordic Center as the Wasps concluded the boys’ half of states in third place as a team.

The Hartland native completed the course in 12 minutes, 17.6 seconds, fourth-best in D-II and fifth-best among all competitors. Bassette had also taken fourth in his division at Friday’s classic race at Middlebury College’s Rikert Nordic Center. Brattleboro’s Isaac Freitas-Eagan won Monday’s race in 11:46.5.

Bassette also helped the Wasps to a third-place D-II finish in the 10K relay. With teammates Justice Bassette, Teddy Krawcyk and Alden Krawcyk, Woodstock posted a time of 27:48.3 to come in behind Middlebury and U-32 in Division II.

Woodstock’s girls didn’t field enough athletes to post a team score. Lily Doton had the Wasps’ best result, a 23rd-place finish in the girls 5K freestyle (19:35.7).

Boys team scores (top five): Middlebury 71, U-32 114, Woodstock 199, Stowe 216, Harwood 265.

Girls team scores (top five): North Country 71, Mount Mansfield 160, CVU 174, Brattleboro 198, Mount Anthony 322; Woodstock, no score.