Barre, Vt.
Not that Williamstown, which ended Windsor’s season with a 71-48 win, had some secret defensive formula. The Yellowjackets, reliant on its sharpshooting from behind the arc since December, simply couldn’t hit a 3-pointer. Windsor was 1-for-9 from 3-point land through the first eight minutes and 6-for-24 when all was said and done.
And when Windsor finally found its long-range shooting game, the Devils had already built an insurmountable lead. It was too late.
“We just couldn’t get anything to drop,” Windsor head coach Harry Ladue said.
“They played very well with their defensive stuff. We had our chances, they just kept playing good. That’s a good team. They made a lot of shots.”
There was a time for Windsor earlier this seaosn when an appearance in the state semifinals — its second in as many years — did not seem likely.
Windsor started 1-7 through its first eight games as it searched for a new identity without key offensive players Mike Bradley and Nick Kapuscinski. The team figured it out in mid-January and finished the season on a 13-1 tear through D-III.
“It’s really good for our program as a whole,” Windsor junior Seth Balch said. “Not a lot of people expected us to get back here, especially after we started 1-7. It was tough. But I love this team, we rebounded and put our season together.”
“I think it was some (nerves),” he said of the loss. “But I think some nights you just don’t have it.”
The good news for Windsor is that all five starters — Balch, Robert Slocum, Ben Meagher, Dakota Page and Adam Stapleton — will return next season.
Williamstown built a 11-2 lead in the first quarter before the Yellowjackets’ Slocum finally hit a 3-pointer with 42 seconds remaining. The Blue Devils responded with five 3s of their own in the second quarter, including a long-range bomb from Eric Hulbert that hit net at the buzzer. Williamstown took a 37-20 lead into halftime.
“The nerves and the energy (of the Barre Auditorium) played a lot into it,” Ladue said.
“We just had to settle down a little bit. … That’s a tough hole to be in. They don’t make a lot of mistakes.”
“They made all of their shots. We didn’t,” Balch sad. “We had a good game plan, and I feel like we had a good energy. We just couldn’t finish.”
Windsor trailed by as many as 25 points late in the fourth quarter. Balch led the way offensively with 14 points and three 3s. Slocum, a sophomore, had 10 points and Meagher, who fouled out early in the fourth, netted four.
“We had good ball movement,” Williamstown head coach Jack Carrier said. “Our defense was working hard. We got some transition points on them early.
“(Being in the championship game) means a lot right now,” Carrier added. “Some of these guys, including my son Brandon, I’ve had since third grade. It’s a little emotional right now.”
Williamstown standout Brandon Carrier finished with a game-high 15 points, including four 3-pointers. Brandon Covey knocked down 12, Ben Bristow had 11 and Hulbert finished with seven points.
The Devils, who were upset in the championship game a year ago, will take on No. 2 Hazen in the D-III championship game in Barre on Saturday. Williamstown is going for its sixth state title in eight seasons.
“We started slow,” Ladue said. “A lot of young kids were learning what we needed from them. They all settled down and they’re all coming back.
“Hopefully, we’ll be in this position next year. We’ll be an experienced team.”
Josh Weinreb can be reached at jweinreb@vnews.com or 603-727-3306.