Hazen Union’s Autumn Dailey (left) dribbles around Anastase Bourgeois (right) of Oxbow during a home game quarterfinal match March 1. Hazen won 57-32.
by Ken Brown
HARDWICK – The top-seeded Hazen Union girls’ basketball team ran their winning streak to 17 straight last week with a dominant win over Oxbow in the quarterfinal round of the Division III state tournament.
Senior Caitlyn Davison set the pace early offensively and sophomore Julia des Groseilliers set the tone inside to lead the Lady Cats to a 59-32 home win over Oxbow on Friday to open the postseason. Davison scored 10 of her 17 points in the first quarter, as Hazen jumped on Oxbow 18-5 to start the game.
Freshman Kelsie Rivard (12 points) complimented Davison with six early points before leaving late in the first quarter with her second foul.
Anastase Bourgeois sank a deep three to cap off a 9-0 run to help the Lady Olympians to stay within striking distance at the break 23-14.
It was the first time back on the court for head coach Randy Lumsden and his squad since their regular season finale on February 15. They earned a bye in the first round along with second-seeded Windsor.
Mya Lumsden (right) of Hazen Union shoots the ball over Olympian opponent Anastase Bourgeois at a quarterfinal home game held March 1. Hazen took the victory 57-32.
“We were definitely a bit rusty to start, but our intensity was off the charts and we started to figure things out a little more in the second half,” said Lumsden.
Davison added nine rebounds and nine steals to her impressive stat line and des Groseilliers imposed her will on the Lady Olympians with 14 points and 14 boards.
Freshman Mya Lumsden (five points) buried a three at the buzzer to make it 41-20 Lady Cats with eight minutes to play.
Senior Tessa Luther also connected from long distance in the win. Braylee Phelps led the Lady Olympians with 13, including a pair of three-pointers. The loss ended their season at 11-11.
Fifth seeded White River Valley punished an injury riddled Thetford Academy squad 55-36 and will face Hazen next. Thetford eliminated the Lady Cats from the tournament last season at the Barre Auditorium before falling to defending Division III champion Windsor. The Lady Panthers returned their entire roster from last winter and started the season 7-1 before dropping six of eight late in the season following multiple season ending injuries to their starting lineup.
“I expected White River to come through in that match-up and it’s really sad to see so many injuries hit a good team like Thetford all at the same time. We are going to focus on doing what we do and remain focused on our stuff. Our biggest issue last season in Barre was nerves, so we’ve got to figure out a way to relax the girls and be ready,” said Lumsden.
White River Valley comes into their match-up with the top seeded Lady Cats on an eight-game winning streak. The two teams will do battle in the Aud on Thursday night. Second seeded Windsor will square off with third seeded Richford in the other semifinal match-up.
