Windsor
The Yellowjackets let a 14-point lead get away in the second quarter, then went on a 23-0 run in the third to improve to 8-1 on the season.
“We talked at the half about how disappointed we were that we didn’t play so well in the second quarter,” said Balch. “We were determined to do something about that in the third quarter.”
And did they ever do something about it.
With the Jacks leading just 31-28 with 6:23 to play in the third, Balch got hot with a 3-pointer to start a surge that saw Windsor not only reel off 23 points in a row but also saw Woodstock not got another basket until there were 5 seconds left in the quarter.
Balch finished the game with 22 points, which included five 3-pointers. When asked if the ball felt just right in his hands in the second quarter he said, “The ball always feels good when it’s in my hands.”
Woodstock got itself in a little jam right off the bat when it fell behind 8-0 and got only its second basket at the buzzer to trail 10-4 after the first eight minutes. As the game moved into the second period, Windsor built the lead to 20-6 and the Wasps (5-4) looked in trouble.
However, Woodstock scored 14 straight points to tie the game. Windsor came alive 24 seconds before intermission and scored the last five points of the half to get some strength back at 25-20.
“Those were five big points,” said Windsor coach Harry Ladue.
Perhaps what keyed the Woodstock comeback was the absence of Windsor big man Adam Stapleton, who missed most of the period after picking up his second foul.
This opened the lane, and the Wasps got key inside baskets from Caleb Webb and Gabe Marsicovetere.
However, all the momentum gathered in the second quarter dissipated in the third.
“You know the defensive pressure bothered us a bit,” said Woodstock coach Joel Carey. “We also kind of let them dictate play of the game. Also, we haven’t played for two weeks, and I think it showed. Of course, it’s also never easy to play down here.”
Windsor showed some depth, using nine players in the first quarter. Ten different players scored on the night.
“Our defense was solid again tonight,” said Ladue. “We also moved the ball around and got a lot of the players into the offense. We got a lot of good looks.”
Windsor also did a good job defensively on Wood, who was averaging 16.7 points a game entering the contest. He was held to seven points. Marsicovetere had a nice game for the Wasps with 17 points and, along with Webb, was a force underneath.
Windsor goes to Brattleboro on Wednesday, while Woodstock’s next game is Feb. 5 at Montpelier.