WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Heidi Bushway wants her Hartford High girls basketball team to play with energy. It can be a hard thing to find and control when in the hoops equivalent of a library.
That’s why what senior guard Jasmine Jenkins did in the fourth quarter of Tuesday night’s VPA Division II tournament opener was so integral to the sixth-ranked Hurricanes’ 64-59 win over No. 11 Montpelier at Hanley Gymnasium.
Without the benefit of a rowdy home crowd to warn her of the Solons’ resurrection from double-digit purgatory, Jenkins hit two baskets out of a 56-56 tie early in the fourth, fed Maddie Withington’s only bucket of the game and added two late free throws to clinch the victory.
“It’s all about being composed and working as a team,” Jenkins said after her game-high 23-point night. “We have this one set mind where we’ve got to score, we’ve got to do this. We’re moving so fast, and we’ve got to slow it down.”
Well-placed energy gave Hartford (6-4) a 12-point halftime lead, stretching to 16 following a Jenkins three-point play with 4:44 left in the third period. Even in a COVID-quieted gym, the Canes were already showing signs of too much energy by then.
The Solons (2-6) shot an absurd 13-for-18 from the floor in the third quarter, running through and around their hosts, racking up 31 points in the period — more than Hartford allowed in three whole games this winter — to close to within 56-54. Montpelier hit six straight shots to end the third and added a seventh, on a spin move from freshman Ireland Donahue (11 points), to tie the game at 56-56 seconds into the fourth.
Jenkins took control at that point, slowing the pace down when she could, stepping on the gas when advantageous. A short turnaround jumper off a Sophie Howe steal broke the tie with 5:59 left. A Jenkins putback of her own offensive rebound upped the lead to four points a half-minute later.
As the Canes’ defense held Montpelier without a field goal for nearly seven fourth-quarter minutes, Jenkins hit Withington with a sweet cross-court pass under the Solons’ basket for an easy deuce with 1:43 on the clock. Two foul shots with 24.7 seconds left sealed the deal.
“That was one thing we stressed all night long: Whether you were on the bench or you were on the floor, you had to have energy,” said Bushway, who earned her first postseason win as Hartford coach on Tuesday. “As you saw in the third quarter, we kind of slipped a little bit on that. But our seasoned players … they all came out and got the energy back up.”
The arrival of Energizer bunnies Sarah and Sophie Howe provided the Canes a jolt of juice toward the end of the first quarter. Up 12-11, Sophie Howe sank a lane runner, Beth Dobrich (12 points) sank two free throws and Jenkins hit two of her own for an 18-11 lead at the horn.
Hartford stretched its advantage with a 10-3 run to open the second stanza. Sophie Howe and Dobrich both had a pair of baskets in the charge, leading Montpelier coach Brian Donoghue to call a timeout at 28-14 lest his Solons get blown out of the building.
Montpelier had enough moxie to prevent Hartford from getting too comfortable. The Solons didn’t have the length to counter Hartford forward Emily Wright, who hauled down 10 first-half rebounds and converted the last of them, off the offensive glass, to send the Canes to the locker room holding a 35-23 cushion.
They did, however, have Grace Murphy. The junior guard four 3-pointers — three in the third quarter — on a 17-point evening to spark Montpelier’s rally. That’s until Jenkins hit the brakes.
“I have been a varsity player for four years, so I have that composure there,” Jenkins said. “I knew when to drive, the right times. It was basically from experience.”
Free Throws: Jenkins, who had missed Hartford’s previous three contests, owns a 29-point effort against Randolph from last season as a personal best. … The dulcet tones on the night’s webcast? Hartford athletic director Jeff Moreno and golf coach Mike Hathorn. They could have a future in play-by-play if this school administration thing doesn’t work out. … No. 3 Enosburg beat No. 14 Springfield, 58-27, in their opener and will host Hartford in a Friday quarterfinal.
Greg Fennell can be reached at gfennell@vnews.com or 603-727-3226.