LEBANON — Every journey requires a starting point. New Lebanon High girls basketball coach Emily Kehoe and her team had theirs Tuesday night.
Getting points from all nine players who saw time, Lebanon overwhelmed Mascoma, 52-7, in an interdivisional NHIAA contest at Lang Metcalf Gym.
Junior guard Catherine Cole netted a game-high 12 points and point guard Molly Smith added 11 as the Raiders (1-0) controlled the tempo from the start.
The next steps — both for Kehoe’s squad and the Royals — may feel more like stumbles. After staging a rematch in West Canaan on Friday, both programs face a quiet week ahead with Lebanon contests against Stevens and Mascoma reservations with Newport called off by rising COVID-19 numbers in both towns.
With the possibility that another upcoming foe, Keene, may also need to reschedule for COVID-19 reasons, Lebanon faces the potential of no game action for the next two weeks.
As coaching career kickoffs go, however, Kehoe said she’d take it.
“I was pretty involved last year, so it’s just good to have a win,” said the former Raider guard, who took over as head coach for her father, Tim, this winter. “I think it’s a great starting point for us. We’ve got a game under our belt. We did a lot of things really well; we did a lot of things bad. I think we have the opportunity now to take those items, go into practice and grow.”
Regional scheduling hasn’t done Mascoma coach Walt Hammond any favors beyond very short road trips.
The Royals’ first two weeks have brought double dates with two of the best programs in NHIAA Division II last year.
The prospect of matchups with D-III Newport next week offered the promise of a competitive respite; those games are now up in the air.
D-III Mascoma (0-3) arrived at Metcalf Gym with a shuffled roster as well.
One varsity regular missed the game with an ankle injury, and two other players missed the trip as a consequence of a positive COVID-19 test reported by the school Tuesday, Hammond said.
The lack of healthy bodies led the Royals to cancel Tuesday’s junior varsity contest with the Raiders.
Certain things about Lebanon girls basketball remain the same regardless of the change in Kehoes on the bench. The Raiders’ success this year will largely start with how well they play on defense.
Lebanon’s speed and anticipation proved too much on Tuesday night for its outmatched visitor, but that won’t always been the case when the Raiders (1-0) meet D-II competition.
“Mascoma, one of the great things about them is they really don’t ever give up,” Kehoe said. “Every time down the floor, they were beating our kids at face cuts and everything like that. To their credit, they challenged us.
“And maybe they didn’t always make the shot, but they definitely forced us into uncomfortable situations.”
Kehoe has other things on which she can count. Forward Sally Rainey is one.
The UNH-bound senior (six points) had 10 rebounds in roughly three quarters of play and was frequently in the mix with the bigger bodies under the hoop.
Cole showed signs of being a scoring leader. Smith, who took over full-time point guard duties with Megan Gradijan’s graduation last June, grew into her responsibilities as the night progressed.
Kehoe used last week for extra practice while neighboring programs commenced their seasons. Now she and the Raiders have the data of someone else’s challenge to assess.
“We have a starting point,” Kehoe said. “We haven’t played another team, so now we have a starting point, and we get to adjust from there.”
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Free Throws: Rainey’s teammates celebrated her senior night by warming up in homemade T-shirts with her picture on them. Rainey’s was black; everyone else wore white. … Guards Madisun LaCasse and Brianna Withington scored Mascoma’s baskets. Abbee Hammond, Gabby Pierce and Leah Larocque all hit foul shots. … Ella Longacre had eight points and Clara Smyrski added six for Lebanon.
Greg Fennell can be reached at gfennell@vnews.com or 603-727-3226.