NEWPORT – The Hazen Union girls basketball team capped off an impressive run over the holiday break with a statement win over reigning Capital League champs North Country.
photo by Vanessa Fournier
Mya Lumsden and Kelsie Rivard scored 17 points apiece to lead Hazen to a 46-34 road win over Division I North Country last Friday. The Lady Cats took a seven-point lead into the fourth quarter and Lumsden doused any chance of a Lady Falcon comeback with 11 points in the final eight minutes. Addie Nelson led North Country (6-2) with 15 points in what was their second loss of the season after falling to Lamoille on the road two nights earlier. Rivard is on a collision course with 1,000 career points in just her junior season, averaging nearly 23 points per game for the Lady Cats. She has played on the biggest of stages already in her young career, but stepping on North Country’s court was extra special for the entire Rivard family. Her mother Sue, who is an assistant coach on the Lady Cat bench, held the all-time scoring record at North Country for 29 years before it was broken by Sabine Brueck last February. Brueck and the Lady Falcons have been the bell of the ball in the Capital the last three seasons, making it to three straight division II state title games and cutting down the nets in 2023. Hazen announcing themselves with a statement win as the new kid on the block in the Capital in a gymnasium Rivard’s mother helped build, made it that much more sweeter.
photo by Vanessa Fournier
“I feel like we were a little overlooked by everybody going into the season and into a new league. Peoples Academy is up-and-coming, talented team and coming off big divisional wins over them and top seeded Oxbow, then beating North Country on this court, makes a big statement for our team. It’s been really cool hearing stories from people who saw my mom’s career. It was awesome playing on this court and to see her announced as a legendary 1,000-point scorer before the game,” said Rivard.
photo by Vanessa Fournier
Rivard, Lumsden and the Lady Cats have been on roll since suffering their only loss of the season to Division I powerhouse CVU on December 16. The dynamic duo has been on an absolute heater ever since, leading the Lady Cats to dominant wins over Thetford Academy, Randolph, Enosburg, Peoples Academy (PA), Oxbow and now North Country. Rivard has averaged 22 points per game and Lumsden 14 over that span. They have vaulted to the top of the current Division III rankings after a 54-24 dismantling of PA in the 3rd Annual Winter Solstice at the Barre Auditorium, followed by a 64-52 win over an undefeated Oxbow team. The lessons learned in the loss to a CVU team that has claimed two Division I state championships the last four seasons were invaluable to Rivard and her talented squad.
“Going into their gym was definitely intimidating. We had been preparing for that game ever since it was scheduled and we knew going in that it was going to be a tough match-up. Even thought it didn’t end in our favor, it was a huge stepping stone for our team and it showed us what we need to work on to get better,” said Rivard.
Hazen will look to make it seven straight wins on Saturday as they travel to take on a Randolph team riding their own four-game winning streak.
