The girls' basketball season got off to a rough start for Brattleboro and Leland & Gray.
The two teams were in the Leland & Gray Tip-Off Tournament and both lost their opening games in the tourney on Dec. 10. The Burr & Burton Bulldogs nipped Brattleboro in a 36-35 squeaker, while the Arlington Eagles topped Leland & Gray, 38-20.
In the tournament's consolation game on Dec. 11, Brattleboro slogged its way to a 32-27 win over Leland & Gray.
• After the loss to the Bulldogs, Colonels coach Chris Worden said Burr & Burton's zone defense, which held Brattleboro to just four field goals in the second half, gave his team a lot of trouble.
“We forced a lot of passes and turned it over a few times,” Worden said. “Rebounding and turnovers cost us.”
Still, the Colonels were competitive throughout, and might have forced overtime if not for a long bank shot by Kaitlyn Pattison that would've have been marked down as a three-pointer if not for Pattison's toe being just over the three-point line.
There were a lot of good things for the Colonels to take away from the loss.
Pattison and Kiki McNary showed they were more than capable as guards, especially on defense as the duo keyed an 8-0 run in the second quarter that gave Brattleboro a 20-14 lead with 2:14 left in the half. Chloe Givens, Diamond Bedward and Twin Valley transfer Katelyn Longe all had field goals, while Brenna Beebe added a couple of free throws.
Longe, a forward, gives the Colonels more rebounding and shot blocking and gives Beebe, Bedward, and Givens some help with interior defense.
The Colonels were up 27-21 heading into the fourth quarter, but Burr & Burton guard Neveah Camp would score nine of her game-high 12 points in the final eight minutes of the game to lead the Bulldogs to the win.
Beebe led the Colonels with nine points and Givens had seven points to lead the Colonels.
• In their game against the Eagles, Leland & Gray struggled on offense. Trailing 10-5 after one quarter, the Rebels cut Arlington's lead to 11-10 with 3:16 left in the first half.
However, the Eagles went on a 9-0 run to close out the half to lead 19-11 at the break, then outscored the Rebels 9-1 in the third quarter to all but clinch the victory.
Leland & Gray had no answers when it came to stopping Sydney Herrington, who led the Eagles with 15 points and thoroughly outmuscled the Rebels on defense. Katrina Gordon added 10 points for the Eagles in the victory.
Maggie Parker and Mary Sanderson each scored five points and they combined to make seven steals to lead the Rebels. Hannah Landers and Abigail Emerson each added four points.
• In the consolation game, Brattleboro was in control for most of the contest. The Colonels held the Rebels scoreless in a 10-0 first quarter. McNary had the hot hand with a pair of field goals and a three-pointer.
The Rebels opened the second quarter with a 7-2 run to cut the Colonels' lead to 12-7 with 3:55 left, but a 10-3 surge by Brattleboro the rest of the way gave the Colonels a 21-10 halftime lead.
Brattleboro pushed their lead to 28-11 with three minutes left in the third quarter, but only managed four points in the remainder of the game. The Rebels chipped away at the lead in the fourth quarter, but couldn't fully get out of the hole they dug for themselves earlier in the game.
• Burr & Burton beat Arlington, 55-35, to win the tournament. Camp led the Bulldogs with 19 points and was named the tournament's most valuable player. Herrington had 21 points to lead the Eagles.
Boys' basketball
• Leland & Gray opened at home on Dec. 11 against Long Trail School, but could not overcome an early surge by the visitors in a 64-34 loss.
Long Trail jumped out to an 18-1 lead after one quarter. The Rebels finally started scoring in the second quarter and cut the lead down to 18-14 with 5:10 left in the first half. Long Trail then responded with a 12-0 run and took a 30-16 lead into intermission.
The Rebels again came out ice cold to start the second half as Long Trail opened with an 11-2 run and built up a 50-22 lead by the end of the third quarter.
• Twin Valley was outscored 17-1 in the opening half and went on to lose to Poultney, 33-21, in the Wildcats' season opener at the annual Bob Abrahamson Tip-Off Tournament in Proctor.
Liam Wendell hit a pair of three-pointers late in the game and got Twin Valley within 10 (31-21), but the Wildcats could get no closer. Wendell led Twin Valley with 10 points, while Mason Boudreau was Poultney's top scorer with 22 points.
Ice hockey
• The Brattleboro boys began the season on the road on Dec. 11 with a 7-4 loss to Rutland. Will Taggard had three goals as the Colonels began their defense of the Division II state championship. Evan Wright also scored. The 0-1 Colonels will host Burr and Burton (1-0) at Withington Rink on Wednesday on Dec. 15 at 4:45 p.m.
• The Brattleboro girls dropped a 5-4 decision to Harwood/Northfield on Dec. 11 at Withington Rink. The 0-1 Colonels will be back in action on Dec. 15 at Withington Rink for a 7:15 p.m. game against Ruland.
Indoor soccer, badminton, volleyball offered at Gibson-Aiken Center
• The Brattleboro Recreation & Parks Department has several activities to help get folks through the winter months.
Adult badminton will be offered at the Gibson-Aiken Center on Thursdays from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., while adult volleyball will be offered on Thursdays, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Both programs will run weekly until April 28, 2022.
These are freelance programs with no instructors or officials, and are designed for adults of all abilities. Pickup games will be played. Participants must bring clean indoor sneakers.
The cost per night for the volleyball and badminton sessions are $3 for Brattleboro residents and $5 for non-Brattleboro residents. Participants can also purchase a 10-session punch card. The punch card fee is $30 for Brattleboro residents and $50 for non-residents.
Adult indoor soccer will be offered on Wednesday nights from 7 to 9 p.m. through April 27, 2022. This, too, is a freelance program with no instructor or officials. Pickup games will be played, and participants must bring appropriate footwear. The cost per night is $5 for Brattleboro residents and $7 for non-residents.
Those 16 years old and older are eligible to play in all three programs. Those 17 and under must have a waiver signed by a legal guardian. At this time, masks are required in all town buildings. Participants should arrive 10 minutes before the start of each program to register, sign in, and pay for the program. Payment must be paid with cash or checks only, or with the punch card.
For all programs, events, and facility information, visit www.brattleboro.org. Once you are on this page, hover over the “Sport and Recreation” tab found on the blue horizontal bar. A new drop-down menu will appear and click “Recreation and Parks.” If there are special needs required for this program, let them know at least five days in advance. For more information, call the Gibson-Aiken Office at 802-254-5808.
Senior bowling roundup
• Week 15 of the fall/winter season of the Brattleboro Senior Bowling League at Brattleboro Bowl on Dec. 9 saw Stayin' Alive (48-27) have a 5-0 week to move back into first place. Alley Katz (45-30) had a 0-5 week and fell back into second place, followed by Pin Falls (43.5-31.5), Pin Setters (38-37), Team Four (35-40), Trash-O-Matic (32-43), Rolling Stones (29.5-45.5), and Old Farts (29-46).
Pat Bentrup again had the women's high handicap game (246) and series (675), while Stan Kolpa had the men's high handicap game (257) and Pete Cross had the high handicap series (681). Old Farts had the high team handicap game (876) and series (2,492).
In scratch scoring, Chuck Adams led the men with a 647 series, with games of 246, 201, and 200. Robert Rigby had a 553 series that featured games of 202 and 180. Jerry Dunham had a 517 series with a 187 game, while Cross had a 516 series. Kolpa had a 193 game and Warren Corriveau Sr. rolled a 182.
Carol Gloski had the women's high scratch series (490) while Josie Rigby (182) had the high scratch game. Gloski had a 178 game, while Nancy Dalzell rolled a 172.