With a final score of 90-87, it might seem odd to call the Brattleboro Colonels boys' basketball team's overtime win over the South Burlington Wolves a great defensive effort.
But the Dec. 27 victory at the BUHS gym came courtesy of strong defense, particularly in the overtime period.
While both teams combined for 25 three-pointers - 14 for the Colonels, 11 for the Wolves - the deciding factor in the game came at the free throw line. The Colonels were 14-for-20, while the Wolves were 2-for-4.
In other words, the Colonels played with discipline while the Wolves committed 18 fouls and gave Brattleboro plenty of chances to pick up easy points at the free throw line.
This was a close game throughout. Senior point guard Tyler Millerick scored 12 of his 17 total points in the first half. His two three-pointers, along with six points from senior forward Charlie Galanes, gave Brattleboro a 21-15 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Junior guard Trinley Warren hit two of his four three-pointers in the second quarter and Galanes added another three, but South Burlington's Tyler Gammon scored 10 points and Khalon Taylor added 7 more as the Wolves took a 43-42 lead at the half.
Galanes, junior forward Greg Fitzgerald, and sophomore guard Sam Mattocks did the bulk of the scoring in the third as the Colonels took a 60-57 lead heading into the final quarter.
The fourth was a see-saw battle as Fitzgerald scored 10 points, including a pair of threes. But Gammons was also hot, and scored 10 points as regulation time expired with the game tied 79-all.
In overtime, Devonte Jackson hit a pair of threes for the Wolves, but Warren and junior center Gabe Packard responded with threes for the Colonels. In the final minute, Millerick was 3-for-4 from the free throw line and Galanes added another bucket to clinch the win.
Galanes was the Colonels' high scorer with 24 points. Fitzgerald added 20 points, Warren had 14, and Packard chipped in 8.
Gammon led the Wolves with 27 points, while Jackson scored 22, include six three-pointers. Taylor had 15 and Evan Parker added 11.
Despite all of three-pointers, Colonels coach Jason Coplan said he was pleased to see more inside scoring by Galanes and Fitzgerald. He was also happy with the way that Warren and Mattocks picked up the slack for shooting guard Keegan Givens, who turned his ankle late in the home opener against Woodstock on Dec. 18 and wasn't in the lineup against South Burlington.
The Colonels had an easy 91-51 win over Woodstock. Millerick and Givens had 19 points to lead Brattleboro, while Mattocks and Fitzgerald each chipped in 14 points. Harrison Morse led the Wasps with a game-high 29 points.
On Dec. 21 in Burlington, the Colonels lost to the Seahorses, 63-48. Fitzgerald had a team-best 15 points for Brattleboro.
Now 2-2, the Colonels face Rutland on the road on Jan. 3.
Boys' basketball
• Bellows Falls opened its season on the road on Dec. 16 and jumped out to a 15-point lead in the first eight minutes of a 56-25 victory over host Long Trail in Dorset.
BF's Ryan Kelly scored 10 points to lead the visitors. Jon Terry and Dylan Clark followed with nine and eight points, respectively.
The Terriers had a tougher time of it on Dec. 20, when they battled back from a 17-point deficit to beat Woodstock, 59-53, in the home opener at Holland Gymnasium. Kelly and Isaac Wilkinson each scored 20 points to lead the BF scorers.
BF then dropped a pair of close games on the road with a 43-41 loss to Randolph on Dec. 23 and a 50-47 defeat at the hands of White River Valley on Dec. 27 to even their record at 2-2.
• Leland & Gray has started the season with a 0-4 record. Levi Allen and Heith Mason scored 28 and 20 points, respectively, to lead Poultney to a 74-46 win over the visiting Rebels on Dec. 19. The Rebels then lost at Springfield, 61-57, on Dec. 23 and 63-59 against visiting West Rutland on Dec. 27.
Girls' basketball
• Twin Valley finished 1-1 in the Green Mountain Holiday Tournament in Chester. The Wildcats rolled over the host team, 54-25, on Dec. 18. The Chieftains trailed, 16-14, at the half, but Twin Valley poured it on in the second, outscoring GM, 38-11.
Kate Longe led Twin Valley with 20 points and Sadie Boyd added 13. Hannah Robinson led the Chieftains with nine points.
In the championship game the following night, Mount St. Joseph defeated Twin Valley, 43-35. Again, the Wildcats had a slim lead at the half. However, this time it was MSJ that had the hot second half to earn the victory.
Meghan Cole led the Mounties with 19 points, while Longe was the Wildcats' top scorer with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
• Springfield opened its season on Dec. 19 at home against Leland & Gray, and romped to a 52-12 win.
The Cosmos blitzed the Rebels, 19-2, in the opening period and cruised from there. Hailey Perham led Springfield with 12 points, while Hannah Landers had eight points to lead the Rebels.
Leland & Gray steadied the ship with a 42-28 win at Arlington on Dec. 20 and a 34-32 win at Woodstock on Dec. 23. With a 58-13 loss to Windsor on Dec. 28, the Rebels entered the new year with a 3-3 record.
• Bellows Falls got its chance to play Springfield on Dec. 20, and were beaten by the host Cosmos, 57-45. Taylor Goodell had 18 points to lead the Terriers. BF also lost at home to Windsor, 69-40, on Dec. 23 to fall to 0-3.
• After sweeping the Leland & Gray Tip Off Tourney a week earlier, Brattleboro came back to earth with a 57-40 loss at Burlington on Dec. 21. Rachael Rooney scored 15 points to lead the Colonels, while Alyssa Scherlin had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Girls' hockey
• Brattleboro was a minute away from a big road win over Rutland, but the Raiders got goals in the final minute of regulation from Alyssa Kennedy and Sydney Wood for a 5-4 win over the Colonels on Dec. 18 at Castleton University's Spartan Arena.
Rutland had a 3-1 lead, then allowed three straight goals by Brattleboro to allow the Colonels to take the lead late in the third period.
Edie Cay got Brattleboro's first goal in the opening period. Juliana Miskovich scored on a rebound in the second period. Tobin Lonergan got the tying goal in the third, and Olivia Romo gave the Colonels their first lead of the night with 2:37 left in regulation.
Boys' hockey
• Brattleboro suffered its first loss of the season on Dec. 21 with a 2-1 overtime loss to Hartford at Withington Rink. Anthony Palomba got the lone goal for the Colonels, assisted by Will Taggard, while Darek Harvey and Austin Wood took turns in goal.
Brattleboro Ski Hill gets ready for another season
• The Brattleboro Ski Hill, operated by the volunteers of Living Memorial Park Snow Sports, Inc., was founded in 1997 after the town of Brattleboro ceased funding the operation.
Operating on the revenue of their $5 lift tickets and annual donations, the not-for-profit ski hill is a safe and affordable option for winter sports within the community.
According to the hill's volunteers, Living Memorial Park Snow Sports issued a total of 3,199 lift tickets to skiers and snowboarders over the course of 49 operating days in 2018-19; with 231 of those being free tickets issued to children 5 and under.
The Brattleboro Ski Hill also works closely with Mount Snow's Ski School to provide lessons to 300 school-aged children over six weeks each winter.
A lot of preventive maintenance work was done during the off-season, including a $15,000 complete overhaul on the T-Bar lift's motor and gearbox, as well as routine servicing on the hill's snowmaking equipment, communications system, groomer, and electrical systems.
Now, the Brattleboro Ski Hill is looking for support to pay for this season's operation. Send your contribution to Living Memorial Park Snow Sports, Inc., P.O. Box 1945, Brattleboro, VT 05302.
Senior bowling roundup
• The fall season of the Brattleboro Senior Bowling League at Brattleboro Bowl ended on Dec. 26 with Magic in Motion (57-28) edging Crash & Burn (55-30) for the league championship.
Stayin' Alive (52-33) finished third, followed by Whatevers (50-35), Us'ns (48-37), One Pointers and Ageless Wonders (both 47-38), Trash-O-Matic (45-40), The Drifters (43-42), Delayed Reaction (36-49), and Split Ends (27-58).
Pat Bentrup had the women's high handicap game (246) and series (648). Warren Corriveau Sr. had the men's high handicap game (274) and series (758). Stayin' Alive had the high team handicap game (873), while Whatevers had the high handicap series (2,515).
In scratch scoring, Corriveau had games of 255, 234, and 212 on the way to a 701 series. Jerry Dunham had games of 205 and 198 as part of his 563 series, while Gary Montgomery had a 200 as part of his 525 series and Fred Ashworth had a 201 game and a 522 series. Doug Switzer had a 180 game.
Nancy Dalzell led the women with the high scratch game (183) and series (448).
Tourney scrambles skating times
• Due to the Brattleboro Hockey Associations's annual Hockey Tournament on Jan. 3-5, there will be some changes to the public skating and public stick time at Withington Rink.
There will be no public skating on Friday, Jan. 3 from 7 to 9 p.m. There will be no public skating/stick time on Saturday, Jan. 4, from 12:15 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. There will be no public skating on Sunday, Jan. 5, from 1 to 4 p.m., but the rink will be available for public skating from 7 to 9 p.m.
Rec Dept. offers Kindergarten basketball
• The Brattleboro Recreation & Parks Department will again be offering Kindergarten basketball for children currently enrolled in Kindergarten who are looking to learn the fundamentals of the sport.
Skills will be taught in a fun and exciting way to the children. This five-week program begins Jan. 6 and runs until Feb. 10 (no practice on Jan. 20). The cost for this program is $20 for Brattleboro residents and $35 for non-residents. Participants are asked to wear sneakers and bring a water bottle.
If there are special needs required for this program, or if more information is required, call 802-254-5808 or see the Recreation & Parks website for a complete listing/description of events at www.brattleboro.org.