ARLINGTON, Vt. — A long drive south to Arlington proved worthwhile for the White River Valley boys basketball team. The Wildcats found their rhythm in the second half to beat the host Eagles, 48-20, on Monday night in a Southern Vermont League matchup.
White River Valley held a 24-15 lead at halftime before going on a 15-4 run in the third quarter to pull away for good. Coach Mike Gaudette praised the play of Weston Trombly, who had seven points and seven rebounds.
“Wes played really well, the best he’s played all season. He really got us going in the first half, and then we clamped down defensively and played really well in the second,” Gaudette said.
Dominic Craven led WRV with 15 points. Carder Stratton added 13 and Alex Lober had nine points. The Wildcats (3-0) return home to play Bellows Falls on Friday.
THETFORD — With their team down at the half, 27-23, Jackson Ransom and Alex Emerson combined on matching 16-point nights to rally the Panthers (2-2).
Ransom had a big fourth quarter, scoring 11 points to help Thetford maintain its lead. Emerson had six points in the final eight minutes. Jacob Gilman added 13 points, including four in a final period in which TA outscored Hazen, 25-14.
The Wildcats’ Isiah Baker led all scorers with 22 points.
Thetford hosts Blue Mountain on Friday night.
BOW, N.H. — The Marauders (2-0) won their second tight contest to open the season, this time on the road.
Hanover won the game from the foul line in overtime, sinking all eight of their free throws. Nolan Gantrish went 4-for-4, while Charlie Adams and Hank Pikus both hit 2-for-2 from the charity stripe. The Marauders took the initial lead in the extra session, drew fouls and then converted from the line.
Gantrish scored 21 points, Adams finished with 14 and Jai White delivered a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds for Hanover, which added nine points from Pikus.
Hanover hosts its Connecticut River Shootout starting on Thursday night. The Marauders will meet Woodsville at 6 p.m., right after a Mascoma-Littleton opener.
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — The Hurricanes (2-2) won a back-and-forth battle with the Wasps (1-3) to open the SVL East-West Challenge.
Tarin Prior had 18 points for the Canes, who scored 17 points in the third quarter to build a 47-43 lead. Cole Jasmin and Alex Bushway each had nine points for Hartford. Shea Bean and Brandon Potter had seven points each.
Harrison Morse had a game-high 24 points to pace Woodstock. Ryan Ducharme added 14 points.
The Canes play host to Mill River on Friday at 7 p.m. for the tournament title. Woodstock will play Otter Valley in the consolation game.
NORTHFIELD, Vt. — The Eagles showed significant improvement from a season-opening 36-point defeat against the Marauders.
“It was a great game. We were up by six points at one point in the second quarter. We were aggressive going to the rim and getting to the line, but just couldn’t make free throws,” MVCS coach Erva Barnes said.
The Eagles shot just 8-for-26 from the charity stripe. Hunter Cooper led MVCS with 11 points. The Eagles will host Blue Mountain on Jan. 2.
WELLS RIVER, Vt. — Bryce Ilsley scored nine of his game-high 22 points in the fourth quarter, helping the Olympians (2-2) come back from a three-point deficit entering the final stanza.
Ilsley included the last of his four 3-pointers in his fourth-period onslaught and was 4-for-4 from the line. Jace Page also had a say in the rally, scoring seven of his nine points in the final eight minutes.
Hunter Locke added 12 points for the O’s, who host Rivendell on Saturday.
BRADFORD, Vt. — Tiffany Longacore nearly outscored the Raptors on her own, her 20-point night leading the Olympians (1-1) to a victory.
Longacre had nine of her points in a 20-6 second quarter that put the game’s outcome to rest. Emma Parkin scored nine points and Alexa Kosakowski contributed eight. Adele Tilden led Rivendell (1-2) with six points.
The Olympians head to Lyndon on Saturday. Rivendell is off until a Jan. 8 visit from Woodstock.
WESTMINSTER, Vt. — Olivia Rockwood erupted for 30 points to lead the Yellowjackets (3-0) over the Terriers.
Rockwood drained six 3-pointers on her way to her final tally. Evelyn Page added 10 points. Angelina Bigwood, Elliot Rupp and Reese Perry had six points each.
Windsor was in front from the start, building a 44-17 lead at halftime. Rockwood made five 3-pointers to key a 25-point burst in the second quarter.
The Jacks visit Leland & Gray on Saturday.
BOW, N.H. — The Marauders were clutch from the free throw line in the fourth quarter to pull out a win at the Falcons.
Hanover shot 10-for-12 from the line in the fourth. Maddie McCorkle had 15 points to pace the Marauders. Stella Galanes and Melissa Whitmore each had 10 points. Bella Bardales added seven points.
Hanover will hit the road for a holiday tournament in Amsterdam, N.Y. starting on Friday.
WOODSTOCK — Three solid quarters went for naught for the Wasps (1-2), who managed just one free throw over the final eight minutes as the Rebels rallied for a victory.
Savannah Sheehan had a game-high 10 points for Woodstock, converting five of her nine free-throw attempts on the night. Unfortunately, her fourth-period foul shot amounted to all of the Wasps’ offense, as Leland & Gray used a 9-1 stanza for the comeback win.
Norah Harper and Morgan Myers both scored six points for the Wasps, who close a season-opening five-game homestand against Rutland on Monday.
MANCHESTER — The Grizzlies scored four times in about four minutes in the first period to set the tone for a rough night for the Raiders (1-2-0).
Jon Cloud accounted for all three of Lebanon’s goal. Cloud’s second-period tally came from Griffin Auch, and Andrew Duany and Jake Kriplin set up his third-period strikes. Hunter Robb took over from starting goalie Toby Cromwell after Goffstown’s four-goal explosion and played the rest of the contest in goal.
The Raiders’ next test, against two-time VPA Division II state champion Woodstock, comes on Friday in Hartford High’s Phil Bouthillier Holiday Classic.
HOLLIS, N.H. — The Tigers’ Josh Sharron won the 145-pound weight class in Hollis-Brookline’s Nor’Easter Tournament on Saturday.
Sharron was unbeaten on his run to victory. Anson Ritondo added a second-place finish at 106 pounds, going 3-1 in the event. Marius Edwards was 4-1 on his way to third place in the 160-pound division.