ENOSBURG, Vt. — The Hartford High girls basketball team is heading the VPA Division II semifinals for the first time in eight years. The No. 6 seed Hurricanes went on the road on Friday night and upset No. 3 Enosburg, outlasting the hosts in an intense playoff struggle, 35-30.
The Canes trailed, 14-13, at halftime and tied the score at 24-24 through three quarters. Hartford then held Enosburg to six points in the fourth, a credit to the overall team defense which had coach Heidi Bushway effusive post-game.
“Our defense was the reason we won tonight. Most of their offense, in the games I’ve watched, was in the paint. So we forced them to shoot from the outside,” Bushway said. “This was definitely a team win, and I couldn’t be any more proud of my team.”
Davan Murphy led a balanced Hartford scoring attack with 10 points, including two key 3-pointers in the third quarter. Beth Dobrich added nine points and Jasmine Jenkins had eight. The Canes went 3-for-5 from the free-throw line in the fourth to help preserve what became a narrow late lead. Dobrich and Jenkins each had a pair of field goals in the fourth.
“There were some clutch free throws made and good composure by everyone,” Bushway added.
Hartford (7-4) will face the winner of Saturday’s game between North Country and Burr & Burton on Tuesday to play for a berth in the state championship game. A Burr & Burton win would make the Canes the host, while a North Country win would send the Canes on the long bus ride north. This will be Hartford’s first trip to the semifinals since 2013.
BRADFORD, Vt. —The Olympians won their VPA Division III quarterfinal matchup with Peoples via forfeit after a positive COVID test at Peoples.
The win sends Oxbow back to the VPA Division III semifinals. The Olympians, coming off a 17-4 regular season, reached the final four a season ago immediately before the COVID outbreak postponed the season.
Oxbow (8-3) will face the winner of Saturday’s quartefinal game between Otter Valley and Lake Region. The O’s did not face either team during this abbreviated regular season.
NEWPORT, Vt. — The Wasps saw their season come to an end in the opening round of the VPA Division II playoffs.
Manny Pacheco made four 3-pointers on his way to 14 points for Woodstock (1-8). Cooper Dorsogna added eight points. North Country opened the game on a 17-6 run and never looked back from there.
The Wasps lose both Pacheco and Tyler Bean to graduation.