Lady Hornets & Royals Battle

By Laurie-Jean B. Gauthier

The Whitcomb Lady Hornets and the D-III South Royalton Royals tangled their way into overtime last Wednesday evening in the Hornet’s Nest gymnasium as both teams fought for the victory. The Royals won the battle, 50-42.

After a slow start that had the Hornets down by six (10-4) after the first period, it was a different story during the second, when Whitcomb held the Royals scoreless for almost six minutes. The Lady Hornets came within three (15-11) before heading for the break.

The Royals increased their advantage by seven after the third (33-26) before the Hornets managed to slowly erase the lead and tie the game with just 4.4 seconds showing on the clock.

It was more of the same for the first two minutes of OT, when the Royals went up by one free toss, and then a second freebie before Whitcomb matched the score at 1:40. Just 20 seconds later the Royals made back-to-back deposits that Whitcomb was unable to match. SoRo finished with two additional hoops as the clock wound down. At the buzzer, it was a 50-42 Hornet upset and Royal victory.

The game was fraught with fouls and jump-ball possessions that had both teams scrambling up and down the court at a tempo that was fast and furious, to say the least. Both teams went to the line a dozen times, faring well only 50% of the time. Hornets’ Tia McKenna and Molly Taylor both fouled out, while South Royalton’s Jane Manby, Megan Whitcomb and Logan Russell all had four fouls, with Russell managing to finish the game after sitting out more than half of the third period.

Royals Whitcomb and Shanna Duffy had 12 points each, Callie Jozefiak had 11 points and Logan Russell had 10. Hornets Laurel Adams and Taylor both shared the high scorer position with 13 points apiece.

Win over U.C.A.

The Lady Hornets hosted the United Christian Academy Crusaders Friday, and claimed their second victory of the season, 29-33.

Just six seconds in, Hornet Virginia Wortman made good from the stripe and Taylor nabbed the next two baskets, before Crusaders Gina Clark and Alyssa Gosselin scored back-to-back hoops. Two more Taylor deposits followed and the Hornets led by six, 12-6, at the end of one.

Taylor scored the first basket of the second period while UCA struggled from the foul line 0-for-4. Demi Aldrighetti scored and freshman Brittany Flint came up big with her first varsity hoop, plus one, as she was fouled in action and went to the line.

UCA scored the next five points before Aldrighetti scored her second hoop of the game and Ashley Bonin finished the half with two for United Christian. Whitcomb led 21-13 at the half. Neither team managed much during the third period. UCA’s Valerie Foster deposited back-to-back baskets for four points. Brittany Flint added two more points to her tally for the only Hornet points of the period.

Tia McKenna started the scoring in the fourth with two points but UCA’s Ivy Goss matched her. Taylor scored the last two baskets for Whitcomb.

Taylor was game high scorer with 14 points and Flint followed with 5.

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