LEBANON — The last time the Lebanon High and Hanover High boys basketball teams met, the Raiders needed three overtimes to prevail. Thursday night in Lang Metcalf Gymnasium, however, the rematch was all but decided after three quarters and finished with a 71-46 Lebanon victory in the teams’ regular-season finale.
Hunter Bienvenu scored 23 points, Jonathan Willeman added 13 and Wade Rainey had 12 for the hosts, who led, 33-23, at halftime and 48-24 with a quarter remaining. Hanover received 18 points from Hank Pikus and 11 from Nolan Gantrish.
Lebanon is 12-6 in NHIAA Division II play and seventh in the standings, while Hanover is 9-9 and in 13th place. Although other teams have yet to conclude their regular-season slates, the Raiders should host a first-round game, coach Dave Faucher said.
“We’ve been on the uptick with some convincing wins lately,” said Faucher, whose team limited Hanover from scoring in the paint while piling up back-door buckets of its own. “We created space out front and made some cuts and screens from behind, and they all worked out. Our kids know their reads and what to look for.”
Faucher said he likes his team to play fast but that the Marauders got back well on defense early in the game before folding after intermission.
“When you slip a screen and go back door for a layup, it’s demoralizing,” Faucher said. “Sometimes it takes the edge off a team’s defense, and I think that’s what happened tonight.”
Said Rainey: “We take pride in our half-court offense and know we can dissect teams with it. Logan Falzarano, our point guard, sees open lanes before they happen, and Jon Willeman is the best off-ball mover I’ve ever played with, so they make it easy for us.”
Both teams will learn their first-round tournament assignments on Monday. the NHIAA D-II tourney kicks off on Wednesday night.
WELLS RIVER, Vt. — Between having not played in 10 days and having not had school all week, the Phoenix (12-6) lacked the initiative to pick off a victory, according to coach Blake Fabrikant, and saw a three-game winning streak end.
“We haven’t played in 10 days, but also it’s February break for us — we go a week later — and we haven’t had the practices that we’ve wanted to,” Fabrikant said. “Our energy level tonight was subpar. They wanted it more than us.”
Fisher Kelley scored a game-high 16 points for Sharon, most of it in the second half. Taylor Leonard had 10 points, and Olly Skeet-Browning netted nine. In the midst of three games in three days to close the regular season, TSA visits White River Valley on Friday night and Christ Covenant on Saturday.
FAIR HAVEN, Vt. — Needing a win to keep their faint VPA Division II state tournament hopes alive, the Hurricanes (3-17) dropped a Marble Valley League decision to the Slaters (11-9) to finish one spot out of the postseason.
Shea Bean had a big finish to his season, scoring a game-high 21 points for the Canes. After averaging 6.8 points per game over Hartford’s opening 10 contests, the sophomore guard scored at a 19.5 ppg clip over the last 10.
Danny Bushway added eight points for the Canes, who lose Thomas Kasten and Nick Porter to graduation.
FRANCONIA, N.H. — Sunapee High’s Ellie Frederick posted a pair of top-10 results to highlight Upper Valley participation in the NHIAA Meet of Champions, held on Cannon Mountain’s Mittersill slopes.
Frederick rang up a third-place finish in the girls slalom with a two-run time of 1 minute, 10.04 seconds, ending up behind only the Profile pairing of Sierra Price (1:07.88) and Madison McLaren (1:08.19). She joined Laker teammate Sylvia Dalton in the giant slalom top 10, with Frederick seventh (1:20.34) and Dalton ninth (1:20.61) in a race won by White Mountains’ Isabella Cronin (1:18.22).
Dalton added an eighth-place finish in the slalom (1:14.06).
Dalton and Frederick both qualified for the Eastern High School Championships later this month with their results.
Hanover’s Elaine Taylor also had a top 10 finish, taking 10th in the GS (1:20.83).
Hanover’s Eric Goodney had the only area top 10 in the boys’ MOC races, placing seventh in the slalom (1:06.01). Lin-Wood’s Charles Loukes won the giant slalom (1:12.69), and Kennett’s Connor Glavin claimed the GS (1:01.76).
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — After two days of action at the Ivy League Championship, the Big Green sits in eighth place with 187.5 points.
Connor LaMastra had the top individual finish of the dary for Dartmouth, placing eighth in the 500-yard freestyle (4:24.68). His preliminary time of 4:22.88 broke is own record from last year’s championship meet by exactly one second. Dartmouth also took eighth in the 200 free relay (1:22.48)
Friday’s day-three action kicks off with the 400 individual medley.