2 Losses & A Win For LadyHornets

By Laurie-Jean B. Gauthier

The Whitcomb Lady Hornets traveled to south Ryegate before the Christmas break and faced the Blue Mountain Bucks in their last game of 2007. They lost to their hosts 46-34.

With only a single basket from Laurel Adams the Hornets trailed BMU seven-two after one period. A Demi Aldrighetti hoop and Molly Taylor’s basket plus two free tosses in the second period had Whitcomb down by a dozen headed into the break. Four points from Emily Wright, in her first game back since rejoining the team late, along with another Adams basket and a nearly perfect five-of-six from the stripe by Taylor gave Whitcomb an even dozen, but Blue Mountain’s 16 points increased their lead 36 to 20 in the third.

The Hornet’s 14-point finish beat the Bucks 10 points but it was a disappointing loss for the Hornets.

Buck Alyssa Nurse led all scorers with 19 points followed by Hornet’s Taylor with 13. Buck Sam Boardman finished with 10 points while Aldrighetti had eight and Adams had seven.

Loss to Chelsea

The first game of 2008 for the Hornets was played against the Chelsea Red Devils last Thursday in Bethel. Meeting for the second time this season, the Hornets were hoping for the sweep, while Chelsea was seeking revenge. Chelsea got their wish with a 47-40 victory.

With former player and injured teammate Morgan Wadkins back home and now the assistant coach, Chelsea was on a mission to win. Chelsea got the ball rolling and led six-zip before Whitcomb’s Taylor netted the first Hornet basket. Three baskets and one free throw from both teams kept Whitcomb down by four entering the second quarter.

Two points by Taylor were matched by Katie Cooper before an Aldrighetti basket and Taylor hoop tied the game at 4:15. Back-to-back baskets by Aldrighetti and Sam Bonasera kept things even before Aldrighetti put Whitcomb up by one for the first Hornet lead of the game at 2:32. A speedy Bonasera left the game for the remainder of the period when she appeared to roll her ankle.

Robyn Kennedy gave Chelsea the lead back at 1:28, 19-18, before Aldrighetti returned the favor for Whitcomb’s second lead only seconds later. Kennedy matched the hoop and at the break it was a one-point Hornet deficit, 21-20. Whitcomb added 12 points in the third, while Chelsea went two better for a three-point advantage after three, 35-32.

During the fourth period, Chelsea added nine points to their score before Whitcomb finally scored a basket at 3:32, which had them down by 10. At 2:30 still trailing, the Hornets scored three consecutive hoops, but Jazman Bramen erased three of those points as the clock ran out. At the end of four it was 47-40, Chelsea.

Red Devils’ Courtney Sanford finished with 12 points, Kennedy had 11 points, Heidi Hatch, 9, and Bonasera, 8.

Taylor was game-high scorer with 18 points followed by Aldrighetti with 15.

Win Over Websterville

The Hornets traveled to Spaulding High School in Barre last Saturday and faced the Websterville Baptist Christian School Warriors and earned a long-awaited third season victory.

With Brittany Washburn starting in place of absent Virginia Wortman, the Hornets took off fast and furiously. Excellent passing and good speed from Whitcomb kept the Warriors on the run as they took the fast break to the hoop and scored 13 first period points while WBCS only mustered three.

Whitcomb’s two Brittanys (Washburn and Flint) scored while WBCS got an Ester Covey freebie for the only second period points for a 19-4 Hornet lead at the half. Whitcomb had a five-hoop rally to go up by 23, 29-6. Taylor, Washburn, Adams, Wright and Tia McKenna all made single deposits. The Warriors finished the game in style, as they scored all the fourth quarter points, while holding the Hornets scoreless.

Taylor led the Hornets with eight points, Washburn had six and Wright finished with five. Eighth grader LaPerle finished the game in double figures with 10 points for the Warriors.

Whitcomb travels to Concord tomorrow to play the Wildcats before breaking for exams, and don’t return to the court until Tuesday, Jan. 22, when they travel to Sharon and face the Phoenix for the first time this season.

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