(PHOTOS BY BREANA RELIFORD / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
BBC SHOWDOWN … Zoe Uribes drives the lane for Montpelier with the Hilltop defense collapses. Uribes paced all scorers with 11 points. VIEW 109 PHOTOS OF THIS CONTEST FOR FREE AT WWW.THEVILLAGEREPORTER.COM
HOLDING OFF THE DEFENSE … Kenley Routt tries to control the ball in Thursday’s BBC tilt with Montpelier.
By: Nate Calvin
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
sports@thevillagereporter.com
WEST UNITY (January 23, 2025) – With sole possession of first place in the BBC on the line and neither team’s offense doing much, Montpelier leaned on their defense to get the job done.
Montpelier held Hilltop to without a field goal in the second and fourth quarter and limited leading scorer Libbie Baker (19.9 ppg) to just four points as they left “The Bunker” with a 27-15 win.
The win puts the Locos on top of the BBC standings at 5-0 with two league games remaining.
It was evident early on that points were going to be at a premium as the teams combined for 1/15 shooting and 10 turnovers in an opening quarter that ended with the game tied 4-4.
The second quarter began with what was a barrage of points compared to the rest of the night in the form of an 8-0 Loco run.
Zoe Uribes converted a three-point play from the low square followed by a layup and then Kelsie Bumb buried a three ball from the left wing to put Montpelier up 12-4.
Hilltop’s only points came at the foul line by Baker who would split the pair in two trips as Uribes added another bucket and Aleigha Hillard put home a left hand floater for a 16-6 Montpelier lead at halftime.
Hilltop came out in a 1-2-2 halfcourt trapping defense in the third quarter to turn up the pressure on Montpelier and it paid dividends.
Baker and Molly Dickinson each scored in transition off Loco turnovers and Dickinson would go 2/2 at the stripe to cut the lead to 19-15 with 2:49 left in the quarter.
Those would end up being Hilltop’s last points of the night with Montpelier’s Lyla Mahan hitting a baseline jumper for a 21-15 lead entering the final frame.
The Locos controlled the fourth as Uribes added another field goal and Hillard had a breakaway layup after a steal to push the lead to 25-15 with 4:54 to go.
Hilltop (16-1, 3-1 BBC) closed the night 4/27 from the floor with 21 turnovers while Montpelier (11-4, 5-0 BBC) hit on 10/33 and coughed it up 18 times.
Uribes led all scorers with 11 while Dickinson tallied eight to lead Hilltop.
MONTPELIER (27) – Bumb 7; Hillard 4; Uribes 11; Mahan 2; Ramos 0; Freeney 0; Hopper 2; J. Uribes 1; Totals: 9-1-6 – 27
HILLTOP (15) – Dickinson 8; Routt 0; Baker 4; VanArsdalen 0; Bailey 2; Connolly 0; Crossgrove 1; Totals: 3-1-6 – 15
MHS 4 12 5 6 – 27
HHS 4 2 9 0 – 15
Junior Varsity: Montpelier, 33-28
GAME STATISTICS
MONTPELIER: FG – 10/33 (30%); FT – 6/8 (75%); Rebounds – 17 (4 offensive); Turnovers – 18; HILLTOP: FG – 4/27 (15%); FT – 6/10 (60%); Rebounds – 20 (7 offensive); Turnovers – 21