ROAD WIN … Kelsey Connolly buries a triple from the corner in the first half of a 29-25 win at Montpelier. (PHOTO BY RICH HARDING / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
By: Nate Calvin
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
MONTPELIER (January 25, 2024) – Hilltop closed the game with a 7-3 spurt in a low scoring defensive battle as they stayed perfect in the BBC after a 29-25 win at The Railyard.
Montpelier won the nonconference meeting between the schools in November by a 52-30 score, but points were much harder to come by this time around.
The Locos jumped on top 4-0 before a 6-0 Hilltop run as Sophia Crossgrove went 1/2 at the line and Molly Dickinson added a layup and then a triple from the left corner to make it 6-4 Hilltop.
Kelsie Bumb buried a triple from the left wing to put the Locos back on top, but Libbie Baker’s first bucket of the night gave the Cadets an 8-7 lead after one quarter.
The scoring continued to be slow in the second quarter with Aleigha Hillard hitting a trey that was answered by Kelsey Connolly from the right corner to put Hilltop back ahead 11-10.
A Bumb jumper tied things at 12-12 later in the frame but a conventional three-point play from Sophia Crossgrove staked Hilltop to a 15-12 halftime advantage.
After several minutes of scoreless basketball to start the third quarter by both teams, Crossgrove hit a pair at the line to extend the lead to 17-12.
Those would turn out to be Hilltop’s only points of the stanza as the Cadets went 0/4 from the floor and committed eight turnovers in the quarter.
The Locos would take advantage of the Hilltop struggles on offense with a bucket by Bumb and then Bumb found an open Jada Uribes who drilled a triple just before the buzzer to deadlock the game at 17 going to the final quarter.
The fourth quarter ended up being the best scoring frame for each team with a Baker layup for Hilltop and then Uribes hit a three from the right corner to give the Locos a 20-19 lead.
Brynn Rodriguez would connect on a three-pointer from the top of the key to give the Cadets a 22-20 lead before Bumb went 2/3 at the charity stripe to square things at 22-22.
A quick five-point spurt then gave Hilltop the lead for good as Baker scored inside on an ‘and one’ and Crossgrove hit a wide-open layup after beating the Locos’ press to take a 27-22 lead.
Montpelier would stay alive on Jada Uribes’ third three-pointer of the second half with 1:23 to go in the game to trim the Hilltop lead to 27-25.
The Locos would have two chances to tie the game in the final minute, but one possession ended on an illegal screen and after Baker hit 1/2 at line to make it 28-25, a desperation trey with six seconds left was off the mark.
Hilltop (11-4, 4-0 BBC), who has now won 11 straight games after starting the season 0-4, was able to overcome 24 turnovers on the night thanks in part to going 4/6 from the field in the fourth quarter compared to 2/12 by the Locos (11-4, 2-1 BBC) who ended the night just 8/44 (18%) shooting.
Baker finished the night with a dozen points, nine in the second half, and Bumb led Montpelier with 11 markers.
HILLTOP (29) – Dickinson 5; Rodriguez 3; Routt 0; Baker 12; VanArsdalen 0; Bailey 0; Connolly 3; Crossgrove 6; Totals: 6-3-8 – 29
MONTPELIER (25) – Bumb 11; Hillard 5; Z. Uribes 0; Mahan 0; McGee 0; Hopper 0; J. Uribes 9; Totals: 3-5-4 – 25
HILLTOP 8 7 2 12 – 29
MONTPELIER 7 5 5 8 – 25
GAME STATISTICS
HILLTOP: FG – 9/27 (33%; FT – 8/12 (66%); Rebounds – 24 (5 offensive); Turnovers – 24; MONTPELIER: FG – 8/44 (18%); FT – 4/7 (57%); Rebounds – 19 (7 offensive); Turnovers 16
JUNIOR VARSITY: Montpelier 33, Hilltop 17