Liz Aitchision crosses over Montpelier defender Mary Wilcox during the second half of Thursday’s game.
Just two days removed from a 22-point rout of Lyndon, the U-32 girls basketball team one-upped themselves by holding rival Montpelier to just nine points in a resounding 60-9 victory over the winless Solons.
They cruised with assistant coach Bill Gant manning the ship, as U-32 head coach Travis Paquet was out expecting a child.
“The girls came out with a lot of energy tonight,” Gant said. “Top to bottom, we used our whole bench. Everyone really played well.”
U-32 (11-4, 5-1 D1) never trailed, going on lengthy runs where Montpelier couldn’t find the basket. The Raiders, after jumping out to an early 4-2 lead, held the Solons scoreless for a stretch of 12 minutes while putting up 30 points.
Liz Ksepka scored 11 of her game high 13 points in the first half, Katie Morrissette added eight and Lilly Richardson had seven for U-32, which has won four of its last five games.
Lexie Drew finished with four points, Caroline Cunningham added three and Anisa Venner-Johnston rounded out the scoring with two for the Solons (0-15, 0-10 D2), who were held to their season-low in scoring.
After leading by just two through the opening two minutes, U-32 kicked into high gear throughout the rest of the quarter. Kspeka’s post presence was too much, as she dropped in six in the first alone while teammates Liz Aitchision and Andrea Symonds both scored a pair of baskets.
Gant and the Raiders, already leading by 20, took their foot of the gas. He went to his bench, where Morrissette, Richardson & Co. were more then ready to step up.
Richardson scored on a nifty post move, then Morrisette and junior guard Nicole Lemieux buried back-to-back 3-pointers go push the lead past 30. Ksepka and bench forward Olivia Mekkelsen combined to score nine points over the final two minutes of the half, as Montpelier had just three.
U-32 blanked the Solons in the third quarter, but slowed down their high-octane offense and methodically scored 10 points by passing the ball around the perimeter. It created a pair of open looks for Morrissette in a span of 30 seconds, as the sophomore buried a corner 3 and a deep field goal with her foot on the 3-point arc.
Shelby McManis and Brenna Connor both scored their first points of the game in the fourth, while Montpelier had double digits with six points, four coming from Drew.
Up next, U-32 hosts Lamoille (8-5) on Monday at 7 p.m. Montpelier seeks their first win of the season as they travel to Vergennes (3-9) on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
ZSN 