Local roundup: New look Lebanon boys beat rival Hanover

LEBANON — Newcomer Domineaq Taylor scored 13 points and Sam Bates added 11 to boost the Lebanon High boys basketball team over Hanover, 46-39, on Tuesday at Lang Metcalf Gymnasium. Hanover’s Ryan McLaughlin scored 19 points during the NHIAA Division II teams’ season opener and Wechsler Cup rivalry game.

Taylor, a 5-foot-11 guard, spent his elementary school and some of his middle school days in the Lebanon district before attending Cardigan Mountain School and the Brooks School in Andover, Mass. He transferred into Lebanon about a month ago, said Raiders coach Kieth Matte. The sophomore struggled early Tuesday but became a physical force as the game progressed.

“He goes out and makes plays,” said Matte, whose traditionally strong team is picked to finish seventh in the division by one New Hampshire media outlet. “When things go badly, he doesn’t worry about what’s happened, he worries about what’s going to happen.”

McLaughlin, a freshman point guard and the touted son of Dartmouth men’s basketball coach David McLaughlin, hit a 3-point shot to put Hanover up, 17-8, after a quarter. Lebanon trailed, 20-18, at halftime but went ahead for good early in the third quarter. 

Hanover, coached by former Dartmouth assistant Ben Davis in his Bears debut, trailed, 35-31, after McLaughlin hit a pair of free throws with five minutes, 42 seconds remaining. 

However, Hanover scored on only one of its next eight possessions while being outscored, 6-2, during a four-minute span. The Bears missed three of four shots during that stretch and had two others blocked. 

“We didn’t give them any easy looks and no second shots,” said Matte, whose team visits Pembroke on Friday. Hanover hosts Merrimack Valley the same day.

— Tris Wykes

WEST CANAAN — The Royals (2-0) led by just five at halftime, but soon pulled away to defeat the Tigers behind 33 points from Zach Thompson and 21 from Aiden Smith. Mascoma exploded for 30 points in the third quarter.

For Newport (0-1), Kayden LaClair, a transfer from rival Stevens, scored 21 points and Aaron Fellows added 13.

"Out of sync first half. Newport defense had a lot to do with that," Royals coach Silas Ayres said. "We started getting into a rhythm in the third."

Mascoma is at Belmont on Friday, while Newport hosts Fall Mountain the same evening.

PLAINFIELD, Vt. — The Eagles improved to 2-0 by defeating the Trojans, jumping out to a 27-11 lead after a half.

Joel Roberts led MVCS with 26 points, Jadon Goeppner had 12 and Roman Goeppner had a double-double with 10 points and 19 rebounds.

“We got out to an early lead and had success pushing the tempo and playing great first-half defense,” Eagles coach Erva Barnes said. “Twinfield played really scrappy, which caused us to turn the ball over more than usual. Despite the win, we did not play our best basketball.”

MVCS hosts Trinity on Dec. 20.

WELLS RIVER, Vt. — The Phoenix were blown out by the defending VPA Division IV champion Bucks in the season opener and the head coaching debut of Ben Montenegro.

Sharon (0-1) is at Rivendell on Dec. 21.

LEBANON — The teams’ season opener featured rivals each breaking in completely new starting lineups. Hanover wasn’t expected to do so, but star point guard Stella Galanes, who led the Bears to last season’s NHIAA Division II title, tore a knee ligament during a preseason scrimmage and will soon undergo surgery, causing her to miss her senior season.

Galanes, who has committed to play at NCAA Division III Tufts (Mass.) University next season, was able to hoist the Wechsler Cup thanks to 12 points from Amina Ajwang, eight from Nina Sablan and seven each from Sydney McLaughlin and Isabelle Hunt. Sarah Belk scored seven points for Lebanon, which graduated players responsible for 98 percent of its 2021-22 season scoring last spring.

“We made a lot of unforced errors, but they’re all correctable,” said Hanover coach Dan O’Rourke. “Amina and Sydney were complementary players before and now they and all of us are in an adjustment period.”

Lebanon hosts Pembroke on Friday, the same day Hanover visits Merrimack Valley.

SOUTH ROYALTON — The Panthers, in Jolene Cadwell's debut as head coach, edged the Wildcats in a defensive battle.

Jillian Barry had 12 points for the Wildcats (0-1) and Ella Perreault had eight points and 12 rebounds. Addie Cadwell had eight to lead Thetford (1-0).

Thetford makes the short trip to Rivendell on Thursday, while WRV heads to Proctor.

NASHUA, N.H. — Greta Barber scored twice for the Raiders and assisted Olivia Pollard on Lebanon-Stevens-Kearsarge's third goal, but it was not enough to overcome the Cardinals' Jenna Lynch, who scored four goals to lead her team to the victory.

Kristin Garzia made 26 saves for the Raiders (0-1-0) who trailed, 5-0, early in the third period before scoring three unanswered goals to make it a closer game.

"I'm very proud of our young team for battling back on the road in the third period against one of the top teams in the state," LSK coach Mike Sheehan said. "We did a lot of good things today and I'm excited to see us continue to improve."

The Raiders play their home opener Saturday against Souhegan.

WEST LEBANON — In a rematch of last March's NHIAA state title game, St. Thomas exacted a bit of revenge on the Bears at Campion Rink.

The visitors jumped out to a two-goal lead after a period despite being out-shot, 11-5. St. Thomas extended the lead to three early in the third period before Hanover began to fight back. Nora Bradley set up Maeve Lee for the Bears' first goal, and Rory Seelig fed Bradley for the second.

Hanover (0-1-0) lost despite putting 40 shots on net to St. Thomas' 16.

"St. Thomas is a strong team and they wanted it more than we did," Bears coach John Dodds said. "It's not a bad thing. We'll learn from this and grow. We've got a lot of hockey ahead."

Hanover heads to Oyster River on Saturday for a game to be played at the University of New Hampshire's 7,500-seat Whittemore Center Arena.