Oxbow's Hunter Locke.
Oxbow's Hunter Locke.

Orford — Matt Emerson exploded for 31 points to help the Oxbow High boys basketball team win on the road at rival Rivendell on Thursday night, 66-56.

The game was tight throughout until the Olympians (1-0) pulled away with 25 points in the fourth quarter. Emerson made seven 3-pointers and had 13 of his 31 points in the final frame.

“We were playing really intense defense the whole game and we finally got them worn out in the fourth,” Oxbow coach Steve Carson said.

Adam Maxwell and Bryce Ilsley each added 13 points for the Olympians. Maxwell and Orin Mahikoa (seven points) drew praise from Carson for their effort rebounding. Carson also heaped accolades on bench players Hunter Locke, Jayce Page and Cooper Simmons.

“They played like their hair was on fire and brought a lot of energy to the team to help us maintain that intense defense when they were in the game,” Carson added.

Zach Gould had 23 points for the Raptors (0-2). Luke Senn added 11 points.

Rivendell is back in action on Monday at home against Websterville Baptist.

Oxbow hosts Woodstock on Tuesday.

White River Valley 59 Northfield 46

Northfield, Vt. — The Wildcats picked up the win over the Marauders in the first game in White River Valley program history.

“I’m happy, we competed hard in the kids first time ever together playing a game,” WRV coach Mike Gaudette said. “Really, the sky’s the limit for these guys this year. We could be sneaky good.”

Eddie Bray led the way for WRV with 17 points. Troy Walker added 15 and Carder Stratton had eight. The Wildcats go for two in a row on Saturday when they host Blue Mountain.

Woodstock 46, Randolph 41

Randolph — Harrison Morse had 20 points to help the Wasps win their season opener over the Galloping Ghosts.

Emilio Montano added 11 points and Caden White had six points. Woodstock visits Oxbow on Tuesday before hosting Bellows Falls on Thursday.

Hazen 60, Thetford 53

Hardwick, Vt. — The host Wildcats emerged with a win over the Panthers in a battle of two teams who figure to be near the top of the VPA Division III standings by the end of the season.

The score was deadlocked at 34-34 into halftime before the Hazen defense held Thetford to two points in the third quarter to take the lead for good.

“It was a very tight game. We came out of the locker room a little slow in the third quarter. We had to fight back so hard in the fourth and just ran out of gas,” Thetford coach Jason Gray said.

Jake Colby had 19 points to lead the Panthers. Owen Deffner added 12 and Eli Dunnet had 10 points.

The Panthers host Windsor on Tuesday.

Otter Valley 61, Windsor 57

Proctor, Vt. — The defending VPA Division III state champion Yellowjackets opened their season with a loss on the opening day of the Proctor Tournament.

Robert Slocum drained six 3-pointers on his way to a 24 points for Windsor. Hunter Grela added 19 points. Owen Abrahamsen chipped in seven points. The Jacks held a 45-40 lead through three quarters but surrendered 21 points in the fourth to the Otters.

Windsor plays today in day two of the tournament.

Girls Basketball

Lebanon 49, Kearsarge 29

Lebanon — The Raiders kept it rolling against Kearsarge, storming to a 30-11 lead at halftime on the way to a third straight win to start the season.

“It was a tough game for us coming off a Hanover game (on Tuesday night),” Lebanon coach Tim Kehoe said.

“I think we came out pretty strong, and it gave us a lot of opportunities to play a lot of kids off the bench in the second half.”

Rebecca Wright and Izzy Peress each had 14 points to pace the Raiders. Sally Rainey added seven points. Lebanon visits Stevens on Tuesday.

Hanover 74, Bishop Brady 41

Concord — The Marauders led 21-4 after the first quarter and improve to 2-1 with the win.

Diana Schwarz had 15 points to lead a balanced Hanover attack. Willa Parkins and Julia Golder added 10 points apiece.

Maddie McCorkle had eight points and Melissa Whitmore had seven.

“The balanced scoring was the result of good ball movement and a lot of unselfish play,” Hanover coach Dan O’Rourke said.

The Marauders will host Bow on Tuesday.

Men’s Basketball

Dartmouth 78Boston University 68

Hanover — Brendan Barry had eight 3-pointers on his way to a career-high 31 points to lead the Big Green to its third straight victory.

Chris Knight added 20 points and nine rebounds for Dartmouth (7-5). The Big Green led, 29-27, at halftime and then started the second half in a flurry to lead 67-52 with 6:36 left to play.

Dartmouth was sharp from outside all night, shooting 14-for-30 from 3-point land.

The Big Green visits Albany on Saturday.

New England College 95 Colby-Sawyer 66

New London — The Chargers dropped a non-league game to the intrastate rival Pilgrims.

Patrick Coffey had 15 points to lead Colby-Sawyer. Jourdain Bell added 13 points and Dana Bean pulled down 10 rebounds. The Chargers dropped to 6-3 and will play in the Salem State Holiday Classic later this month.

College Football

Dartmouth To Face Army in ’24

Hanover — The Dartmouth football team released its schedules through the 2024 season, with a renewal of the series against UNH and a game at Army.

The usual Ivy League slate features a game against Princeton in Yankee Stadium on Nov. 9, 2019, as part of the 150th anniversary of the college football. Dartmouth will renew acquaintances with UNH starting in 2021 and then again in 2023.

The Big Green will travel to West Point, N.Y., to play Army during the 2024 season. The game against the Black Knights will be just the third FBS opponent for Dartmouth since D-I split into two classifications in 1978.

The Big Green suffered a 45-0 defeat against Navy in 1986 and lost by just a point, 13-12, against Army in 1983.

Skiing

Whaleback Opens Today

Enfield — Whaleback Mountain is set to open with top-to-bottom skiing and riding today.

With snowier than average weather and plenty of cold temperatures lately, Whaleback has been making snow around the clock and is set for opening day today. Expect seven trails with top-to-bottom coverage. Lifts will be open today from 4-7 p.m. and then on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.