Local Roundup: Hanover’s rout of Plymouth is prep for a tougher test ahead

HANOVER — It’s about to get real for the Hanover High girls basketball team.

The Marauders have dominated NHIAA Division II play through the first half of the schedule, but Hanover also hasn’t faced the strongest competition night in and night out. After Tuesday’s 55-19 rout of Plymouth, the Marauders now prepare for their toughest stretch of the season.

Beginning with Friday’s visit to John Stark, Hanover (8-0 league, 9-2 overall) — one of three undefeated teams in D-II play — will face four teams with winning records in five games, with further metal waiting toward season’s end.

The skills developed through eight league games are about to be tested.

“Last night, we had our best practice of the year,” Hanover coach Dan O’Rourke said after Tuesday’s victory. “Our ball movement is getting a lot better. That’s allowing us to have open shots. We’re starting to crash the boards. We’re starting to play better as a team overall. But the next four weeks, we have some tough games.”

Hanover made quick work of the Bobcats (3-4), building a 20-3 lead through one quarter. As they have all season, the Marauders spread the scoring around: Maddie McCorkle had a game-high 13 points, Melissa Whitmore offered 10, Stella Galanes added eight and everyone else who hit the floor had at least one point.

Shared scoring has been one of Hanover’s strengths to date. Charlotte Johnson’s 23-point effort in a Jan. 4 win at Kingwood is the Marauders’ only 20-plus game of the season. Most every contest has seen Hanover get a little bit from a lot of people.

That versatility should come in handy against the next five foes — Stark (7-2), Merrimack Valley (5-5), Kearsarge (3-5), Hollis-Brookline (8-0) and Lebanon (5-2) — who combined own a .659 winning percentage (27-14). Hanover’s D-II competition through Tuesday night checked in at .433 (26-34).

“The focus now turns toward February and getting us ready for playoffs,” O’Rourke said. “The next five or six games will be a good test, both home and away, to get playoff-ready.”

CONCORD — The Eagles (5-3) took advantage of the opportunity to get everyone on the scoresheet during a nonleague victory that stopped a run of two straight losses.

Hayley Goodwin hit for a game-high 20 points to lead Mid Vermont Christian. Sister Sydney Goodwin had nine points, Rachel Horner-Richardson added seven and the rest of the Eagles contributed at least one bucket apiece.

“That was our goal; we didn’t think we could do it, but we did it,” MVCS coach Chris Goodwin said of fully spreading the scoring around. “Once the game got out of hand, we’d look for the kids who hadn’t scored yet. And it worked out.”

Mid Vermont visits Mount St. Joseph on Monday.

NEWPORT — Sydney Miller buried 11 field goals, including one 3-pointer, for a season-high 27 points in the Cardinals’ victory at Wheeler Gym.

Stevens (4-4 league, 6-5 overall) held just a 36-33 halftime lead, but Miller used a 10-point third quarter to give the visitors a measure of comfort. Alyssa Paquette added 13 points and Jaci Morin added eight for the Cardinals.

Greysan Beaulieu had another big night for the Tigers (1-6, 1-8), scoring 18 points, and Maddie Miller contributed 10 for Newport.

FAIR HAVEN, Vt. — The VPA Division II-leading Slaters (10-0) stayed perfect at the Wasps’ expense.

Lara Tarleton had a team-high seven points for Woodstock. Emma Tarleton followed with four.

The Wasps (1-10) host Springfield on Friday night.

WEST CANAAN — Playing with only five players due to injuries, Nikki Williams paced the Royals with six points.

Mascoma (4-7 overall, 3-6 NHIAA) visit Fall Mountain on Friday.

ORFORD — Facing a team known for shutting its opponents down early, the Raptors (11-0) employed the same recipe on the Wildcats (9-1) to send them to their first loss of the season.

Rivendell held the visitors to a single free-throw in a 10-1 opening quarter. The teams — which were 1-2 in VPA Division IV entering the night — played an even contest from there until the Raptors pulled away in the fourth.

Luke Senn led the Raptors with 18 points, one off his season high.

“He’s been stepping up a lot lately,” Rivendell coach Ross Convertino said of Senn. “Twin Valley played an extended 2-3 zone, and Luke was able to punch gaps in it with his body movement and cut-ins.”

Zach Gould had 12 points and Kyle Carter had 11 for the Raptors, who host Leland & Gray on Thursday.

PLYMOUTH, N.H. — With Nolan Gantrish throwing down a season-high 29 points, the Marauders (6-0, 8-0) maintained a share of the lead in NHIAA Division II.

Gantrish sank a trio of 3-pointers as part of his big night. Hank Pikus contributed two of them and finished with 20 points. Eric Selzer also had a season-best with 12 points for Hanover, which led, 30-9, after one quarter.

Hanover hosts John Stark on Friday.

LANGDON, N.H. — Ben Seiler scored 14 points, Connor Thompson added 13 and the Royals ended a two-game slide.

The hosts switched to a triangle-and-two defense in the second quarter to stop Seiler and Thompson, but Mascoma (6-4, 5-3 NHIAA) countered with a balanced scoring attack. Gabe Rock had nine points, and Hawk Shawn finished with eight.

The Royals host Mascenic on Tuesday.

WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Mount St. Joseph’s Cole Blanchard hit a bank-shot 3-pointer with 2.4 seconds to play in the game to spoil the Hurricanes’ night at Hanley Gymnasium.

The teams battled through a nip-and-tuck contest, playing to an 11-11 deadlock after one quarter and a 27-27 tie at the half. Andre Prunty led MSJ with 23 points, Blanchard finished with 14 and the duo combined for 18 second-half points.

Brandon Potter kept Hartford (5-7) going with a season-high 17 points, backed by 15 from Shea Bean, also a season-best. Along with Blanchard’s last-second bomb, MSJ set itself up for the win with its play at the free-throw line in the fourth quarter, with Prunty hitting four of five attempts late.

The Canes travel to Mill River on Friday.

NEWBURY, Vt. — The Phoenix allowed a season-high 74 points in the loss, despite Olly Skeet-Browning’s team-high 24 points.

Tyler Chapin added 20 points, and Riley Eastman contributed 10 more for Sharon. The Phoenix (4-6) travel to West Rutland on Friday.

Trinity Christian 42
MVCS 35

CONCORD — The Eagles kept it a one-possesion contest until Trinity Christian went on a run with three minutes to play, putting the game too far out of their reach.

Playing without two players, MVCS (3-5) was led by Joel Roberts’ 11 points. Cade Paquette had nine, and Abel Goodwin chipped in with six.

The Eagles host Vermont Commons on Wednesday.

THETFORD — The Galloping Ghosts calmed down on defense, holding the Panthers (7-4) to their lowest team tally of the season and handing them just their second loss in their last nine games.

Neither team led by more than three points after any quarter. Fritz Hauger paced Randolph (8-3) with 14 points.

Eli Dunnet and Jackson Ransom each scored 10 points to pace Thetford, which hosts Harwood on Saturday afternoon.

WESTMINSTER, Vt. — The Yellowjackets produced only two points in the fourth quarter and ultimately fell to 3-8 on the season. Coach Harry Ladue also credited missed free throws down the stretch as a factor in the defeat.

Owen Abrahamsen led Windsor with 13 points. The Wasps host Fair Haven on Friday.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Vt. — The perennially powerful Blue Devils (5-6) appear to be alive and kicking again in VPA Division III, rolling to their fifth straight win by doubling up the Olympians (3-7).

Williamstown blew open a 15-10 lead after one quarter with 31 points in the second. Cole Banks scored 18 points to lead a balanced attack for the hosts, who received offense from 11 different players.

Bryce Ilsley paced Oxbow with 24 points. The O’s get another test on Thursday when they entertain U-32.

WOODSTOCK — Ryan Ducharme (16 points), Harrison Morse (13 points) and Emmet Mahoney (11 points) all scored in double digits, but the Wasps couldn’t pull out a victory. The Wasps travel to Mount St. Joseph on Thursday.

Newport 48, Stevens 38

CLAREMONT — Will Cross scored 10 of his game-high 18 points in the second quarter to help the Tigers (1-6, 2-8) win their first NHIAA game of the season and break an overall six-game losing streak.

Cross’s output helped Newport establish a 27-18 halftime lead, and the Tigers kept Stevens (0-6 league and overall) from mounting a comeback by holding the Cardinals to just five third-quarter points.

Sean Moody contributed 10 points and David Hutchinson added nine for Newport, matching his season high. Tyler Bonneau had 10 points and Clay Wadsworth netted nine for the Cardinals.

Unified BasketballWhite Mountains 40Hanover 36

HANOVER – Avery Hunnewell scored 20 points an Eli Weintraub added 14 for the Marauders. Hanover (1-2) is off until it visits Winnisquam on Monday.

Indoor TrackHanover competes atUNH team pentathlon

DURHAM, N.H. — The Marauder girls placed fourth and the boys took 13th in the New Hampshire Winter Track League’s first team pentathlon event at UNH’s Paul Sweet Oval on Sunday.

Hanover’s girls, who competed in a field of 36 schools, placed well with the help of several personal bests. Olivia Trummel posted one in the 55-meter hurdles (10.03 seconds), Zoe Onyango added another in the long jump (16 feet, 4.75 inches) and Christine Aman contributed a third in the 1,000-meter run (3:14.99). Mary Hedrick threw the shot and Anna Stafford competed in the high jump to round out the effort.

Matt Bonner led the Marauder boys with a personal-best time of 2:46.21 in the 1,000 meters.

Correction

Blue Mountain boys basketball defeated The Sharon Academy, 74-59, on Tuesday night. An earlier version of this story reported an incorrect final score  .