WOODSTOCK — Bellows Falls was just too much for Woodstock’s girls basketball team to overcome, as the Wasps fell to the Terriers 65-35 at home on Thursday night.
Sophomore Lindsey St. Cyr was the Wasps’ leading scorer in the loss with 15 points and was the only player to score in double figures. The next highest scorer for Woodstock was freshman Willow Carey, who notched six points.
Wasps’ Head Coach Timmy MacDonnell noted that his squad is a work in progress and credited the Terriers’ program, while complimenting the play of Bellows Falls’ junior Abby Nystrom.
Nystrom paced the Terriers’ offense with 23 points. “Abby Nystrom is a really good guard. One of the best we’ll see all year,” MacDonnell said.
MacDonnell said his team will build on the positives from the game, while acknowledging the outcome was not what they were looking for.
“Our hope is, hey, can we learn from it? Can we come into practice tomorrow and do some of the things that we’re trying to get better at, and just keep building,” he said.
One thing that was definitely building was the Terriers’ lead in the first quarter, as the Wasps found themselves trailing 16-4 with about 1:30 left in the first frame.
Bellows Falls built its early lead off some nice transition buckets and monstrous offensive rebounding to give itself second chances when needed.
The Wasps did end up getting to double figures in the first quarter on a three-pointer from St. Cyr and a successful-and-one bucket from junior Khloi Bruso to go into the second quarter trailing 20-10.
Not much good fortune came Woodstock’s way in the second quarter as the Terriers continued their barrage on the offensive glass. They took advantage of turnovers to double their 10-point lead by the end of the first half and entered halftime up 40-20.
Any chance of a Wasps’ comeback was dashed fast in the opening of the second half as Terriers’ sophomore Gracie Patterson and senior Veronica Moore each scored four points on an 8-0 run aided by Woodstock turnovers. That brought the Terriers up 48-20, less than two minutes into the third quarter.
Ultimately, the remainder of the third quarter and the fourth quarter were academic as the Terriers held onto their lead and clinched the 30-point victory.
Despite the loss, MacDonnell said his team, when it took care of the ball, moved it well and got solid looks.
He also said that he thought his team rebounded better in the second half, noting that it has been a point of emphasis.
“We can’t just rely on Lindsey to rebound. She does a really good job and does a lot of things really well — it has to be a collective effort,” MacDonnell said.
With the loss, the Wasps fell to 5-5 on the season and have lost four in a row.
Going forward, MacDonnell said his team will continue to build on skills and work on playing through St. Cyr.
“The end outcome doesn’t define how we are, which sounds so cliché, but it’s something we’re trying to focus on… How can we keep getting better?” MacDonnell said.
The Wasps will go on the road to battle White River Valley on Monday at 7 p.m. in hopes of snapping their losing streak.
