BRADFORD – The Twinfield-Cabot boys’ basketball team last week avenged an early season loss to Oxbow before falling to Danville on the road, putting their season record at 6-9.
Senior Sam Russell netted a season-high 21, helping the Trojans erase a double-digit starting deficit to top Oxbow on the road last Wednesday 51-39.
Braxton Adams (15 points) got the home crowd going early, fueling a 12-0 run to start the game while players, coaches, fans, and officials were all dressed in pink to recognize Coaches Against Cancer Night. Russell and Tej Stewart (12 points) brought the Trojans storming back to within striking distance at the break, then converted a three-point play and a three-pointer to take a 38-33 lead after three quarters.
Brayden Cushing and Sam McLane combined for 10 more to help the visitors erase the memory of a 62-60 heart-breaker to Oxbow back in December, finishing off this match-up on a 13-6 run.
Griffin Pike and Brady Nickles combined for 13 in the loss, as the Olympians fell to 4-11.
“The guys did a great job of showing zero panic when we got down early. They played and worked together to slowly climb out of that hole. Sam and Tej played big for us offensively and Sam and Dom Hale stepped up on the defensive end and the glass. Their efforts on both ends of the floor helped us finish off the game and get a good road win,” said head coach Kris Bador.
Anthoni Guinard knocked down six triples on his way to a 20-point night, leading Danville to a 48-32 home win over the Trojans on Friday.
Anthony Raymond contributed 12 points for the Bears as they took a commanding 26-13 lead into the break.
Leading scorer Andrew Joncas torched the Trojans for 26 last month but was held to a season-low nine in this rematch.
Stewart led Twinfield-Cabot with 13 and Russell added 10, as each player connected on a pair of threes.
Danville swept the season series between the crosstown rivals, improving to 12-4 and hanging on to the third spot in the current Division IV standings.
The Trojans remain in the tenth spot and will have to leapfrog Poultney and Blue Mountain in the next two weeks to secure a home playoff game.
“We did a nice job of holding a team like that under 50 points, but we just couldn’t make a shot. Joncas is a great player and holding him down like that tells me we are getting better at the right time on defense. I can live with the shots that we took in our half-court offense; they just weren’t falling. We’re back to work this week getting ready for a tough Proctor team coming to town,” said Bador.
The Trojans hosted the 9-6 Proctor team on Monday and are scheduled to travel to Stowe on Friday night, then welcome Christ Covenant to town next Monday.
