THETFORD — Playing in Barre Auditorium has become habitual for the Thetford Academy girls basketball team, but that doesn’t mean making it there has ever been easy.
The No. 3 Panthers (19-3) defeated Bellows falls, 58-41, in Friday’s VPA Division III quarterfinals, qualifying for the semifinals at Barre Auditorium for the seventh consecutive season in the process. Each of the last six campaigns has yielded a trip to the finals, with a total of three championships.
The Panthers will face a familiar opponent at the Aud in the form of Upper Valley rival Windsor (No. 2, 19-3). This will be the fourth consecutive year the two local programs have clashed at the Aud. Thetford beat Windsor in the 2017 finals and 2019 semifinals, and the Yellowjackets won the 2018 championship.
TA, which was led on Friday in scoring by Grace Davis (18 points), jumped out to an early lead against the No. 6 Terriers (16-6) en route to taking care of home court at Vaughan Gymnasium.
TA led, 21-11, after the first quarter and 34-25 at halftime. Casey MacVeagh (14 points) closed out the first half with a putback that ended a 14-3 run by the visitors. The senior was also involved in a key play to close out the third quarter when she found Emma Colby on the fast break. Colby (10 points) caught the pass in stride and was fouled while completing the layup. The junior completed the 3-point play after crashing into protective padding behind the baseline.
The Terriers, who came in on a seven-game winning streak and won 15 of their previous 16 games, put up a good fight. Their third-quarter run brought them within four points at 43-39, but it was the closest they would get down the stretch.
“They have some very skilled players, and we knew they could shoot the ball,” Thetford coach, Eric Ward said of Bellows Falls, which was led in scoring by Halle Dickerson (17 points). “We contained them in the first part, then we had a little lull, a few sloppy plays, and they came back and scored on us.
“We finished strong, so that’s what I look for. You know, it was a big game; they’re a very good team. They were very active, and they made us defend. We tried to do some things against them knowing they’re good shooters, but I like the way we finished, I like the way we started, now we have to make sure we clamp the middle part of the game.”
Ward and his players know the Aud and its old-school environs well, which helps when tasked with competing there. But the Panthers’ success, cultivated throughout various youth levels, doesn’t just perpetuate itself.
“Credit to these kids,” Ward said. “We’ve been there a lot, but every year we have different people playing. It’s not like the same group is playing every year. The quarterfinal game is always that big game. One game away from getting to Barre.”
The Panthers and Yellowjackets split during the regular season — with both games decided by a total of five points — to set up the marquee rubber match.
“Basically all of our games come down to the last minute or two,” Ward said. “That’s basically what happens.
“They know us, we know them. It’s how are we going to execute that last part of the game? It’s going to be a real chess match, but we’ve got three days next week to really prepare for them. I’m looking forward to the challenge, but it’s going to be fun. It’s going to be a packed house, so I’m looking forward to it.”