ADDISON COUNTY — In local high school boys’ hoop action on Tuesday, Vergennes won big at home to remain unbeaten while Middlebury prevailed for the seventh straight outing, this time at Mount Abraham, to keep momentum heading into Friday’s big home match-up with the Commodores.
Otter Valley (2-10) had been scheduled to play at Bellows Falls (3-7), but that contest was postponed until Feb. 12.
COMMODORES
The Commodores hit visiting BFA-St. Albans with a 36-13 blitz in the first quarter on the way to an easy, 76-52 win over the Division I Bobwhites (6-6).
VUHS coach Peter Quinn said his team fired on all cylinders in the opening period.
“We kind of exploded in the first quarter. It was great. We shot 70 percent,” Quinn said.
The Commodores then allowed only 10 points in each of the second and third periods as the stretched their lead to 46-23 at the half and 60-33 after three.
“We’re playing great offensively, and for at least half the game tonight we had great defensive intensity,” Quinn said.
VUHS had four double-figure scorers, shot 60 percent for the game, and racked up 20 assists on 30 baskets thanks to what Quinn called unselfish ball movement.
Cody Quattrocci led the way with 21 points, four steals; Stanley Salley contributed 20 points and a team-high five rebounds; Zach Ouellette chipped in 11 points, a team-high seven assists, and four rebounds; and Charlie Stapleford added 14 points and five assists.
For the Bobwhites, who will get a home rematch with the Commodores and will play MUHS twice down the stretch, Caleb McLane scored 13, Dylan Callan had nine, and Darren Callan added eight.
TIGERS VS. EAGLES
At Mount Abe on Tuesday, the 1-12 Eagles kept the Tigers in range for one period, trailing by just six, 14-8, after eight minutes.
But the 11-2 Tigers started rolling in the second and third periods, outscoring Mount Abe collectively in the middle quarters by 44-17 on the way to a 73-46 victory.
MUHS Coach Chris Altemose was especially happy with the Tigers’ work coming out of the halftime locker room: They outscored the Eagles, 24-8, in the third.
“We had a solid third quarter,” Altemose said.
He also credited the Eagles for their effort.
“The Mount Abe kids played very hard,” Altemose said.
Mount Abe Coach Mike Estey praised MUHS.
“The Tigers played well and defended extremely well,” Estey said. “They’re real quick and work hard.”
Estey also liked his team’s effort, but said miscues, including 16 first-half turnovers, hurt Mount Abe’s cause.
“We played hard and didn`t quit, but had too many turnovers,” he said.
For Middlebury, Connor Collins recorded 19 points; Perry DeLorenzo, 12 points and six rebounds; Tyler Provencher, 11 points; David Burt, seven points and eight rebounds; James Pecsok and Marrott Weekes, seven points each; and Sam Usilton and Peter Lindholm, four points apiece.
Sawyer Kamman led the Eagles with 13 points, Cody Alexander scored eight, Whit Lower tallied seven points, and Travis Bachand hauled down six rebounds.