ORFORD — Paced by 18 points from a returning Maggi Ellsworth, Oxbow opened the season in the win column with a 44-20 beatdown of local rival Rivendell in their season opener.

The Lady Olympians led all night in front of a boisterous traveling crowd who nearly outnumbered the Raptor faithful, giving the many fans who made the 12-mile trip plenty to cheer about with a solid display of all phases of the game.

Oxbow overwhelmed a young Rivendell team on the defensive end and on the glass, extending possessions while forcing the Raptors into a plethora of bad shots. In total, Rivendell finished with nine more turnovers (14) than made shots from the floor (5).

On the other end of the floor, Oxbow utilized great ball movement to punch holes in the 2-3 zone of the Raptors and generate a bevy of open looks from beyond the arc and at the high post.

At the center of the offensive attack was Ellsworth. Freshly returned from an ACL injury that cost her the entire season a year ago and sporting a heavy-duty knee brace, the senior was active all night, drilling three three-pointers and serving as the fulcrum of the Oxbow offense.

“She missed last year, but she does have the experience. She’s played since she was a freshman,” said Oxbow coach Barry Emerson. “I think it really helps to have her back.”

Against the Raptors, who roster just a lone senior and start three sophomores and a middle schooler, Oxbow’s experience was key in keeping Rivendell in check. Emerson credited junior Braylee Phelps for her work shadowing Rivendell’s top scorer, sophomore guard Lily Murray.

“We tried to play her tight and tough,” Emerson said. “I think Braylee Phelps did a good job with that.”

Murray scored half of the Raptors points on the night but none of them came easily. Rivendell struggled to build any rhythm offensively all night, managing just 3 points in a 13 minute stretch between the second and third quarters as Oxbow turned an early 8 point lead into an insurmountable 20 point gap entering the final quarter.

“They definitely had an advantage with the experience that they have… they got the experience playing together that we just don’t have,” Rivendell coach Ross Jensen said after the game.

Another advantage? The purple mass of Oxbow supporters who made the Orford gym feel closer to a neutral site game than a road trip for the Olympians.

“It was really nice,” said Emerson. “They were back-and-forth, both crowds, for a while. That’s really fun.”

Oxbow travels to Woodstock on Dec. 27 before hosting Rivendell at Garone Gymnasium for their first tilt of the new year on January 2nd.

Rivendell (1-1), who even with the loss are off to a better start than their 0-5 start a year ago, host Twinfield/Cabot on the 23rd before traveling to Hartford on December 27 to take on the Division II Hurricanes.