Isabelle Gouin (No. 1) of Hazen Union looks for a teammate to pass to over BFA Fairfax’s Cora Spiller (No. 10). The Lady Cats defeated their opponents 78-19.
HARDWICK – The Hazen Union girls’ basketball team rolled past BFA-Fairfax last week for their fifth straight win, but suffered an injury to their star point guard that could keep her out of a game or two.
Freshman Kelsie Rivard made the most of her minutes last Thursday, pouring in 19 of her game-high 20 points in the first half to lead Hazen to a 78-19 home win over the Lady Bullets.
Julia des Groseilliers was dominant inside for the Lady Cats with 14 points as Hazen blitzed the visitors with a 28-0 run in the second quarter to put the game away early.
Freshmen Autumn Dailey and Mya Lumsden combined for 17 more points and Isabelle Gouin knocked down a triple on her way to an eight-point night.
Forrest Skillman paced BFA-Fairfax with 12 points as they fell to 1-8 on the season.
The win came with a cost as two-time Vermont Dream Dozen selection Caitlyn Davison left early in the first quarter with a groin injury after diving for a loose ball on the far sideline. The senior point guard is averaging 19 points per game this season and is on pace to become the next Lady Cat 1,000-point career scorer.
“Caitlyn’s groin is getting better every day with treatment. We are hopeful that she will be ready to play as soon as Saturday against Richford,” said head coach Randy Lumsden.
Lumsden has thrown his dynamic freshman class into the fire early this season with high pressure minutes and so far, they have passed with flying colors. Rivard is having the kind of freshman campaign that hasn’t been seen by Cat Nation since the likes of the great Jennifer des Groseilliers, who graduated in ‘91 as the program’s all-time leading scorer. Rivard is averaging over 19 points per game and is a threat to score inside, from the baseline, and in transition. Lumsden, Dailey, and Taylor Thompson have brought energy at both ends of the court and are developing into outside threats. Gouin and des Groseilliers are having breakout sophomore seasons, giving Lumsden’s roster more depth from a season ago. The 6-1 Lady Cats are ranked second in the current division III standings, with an undefeated Windsor team securing the top spot. Thetford Academy is on Hazen’s heels at 7-1, with all three teams making it to the Final Four at the Barre Auditorium a season ago. Windsor remains the team to beat after capturing the title with 9 freshmen on their roster last winter.
“Although you can’t replace a player like Caitlyn, we feel very confident reaching to our bench this season to pick up the slack while she recovers from this injury,” said Lumsden.
Hazen Union will welcome Danville to the Cat Den on Thursday night and will travel to a 5-2 Richford team on Saturday, who is currently ranked fifth in the Division III standings. The Lady Cats will stay on the road next Tuesday for a match-up with 7-1 Williamstown.
