Sports

Host Otters storm back against Tiger boys

OV JUNIOR CONNOR Denis tosses a pass as MUHS junior Cooke Riney defends during Tuesday’s basketball game at Otter Valley. Independent photo/Steve James

OV SENIOR LUCAS Politano knocks the ball away from Tiger senior Cam Whitlock during Tuesday’s game in Brandon.
Independent photo/Steve James

BRANDON — Late in Tuesday’s third quarter in the Otter Valley gym, the Middlebury Union High School boys’ basketball team appeared poised to upset the host Otters.

The Tigers had scored the final five points of the first half to take a 32-29 lead. And after exchanging baskets with the Otters for the first 4:20 of the third quarter, back-to-back hoops by Tiger senior forward Kyle Stearns, assisted by junior guard Taylor Altemose, and MUHS senior guard Cam Whitlock, pushed the Tigers’ lead to 44-36.

But then the Otters took over.

Up until that point, the Tigers had handled the Otters’ 2-2-1 press, committing only five first-half turnovers and two more in the first few minutes of the third quarter.

But MUHS committed nine in the game’s final 8:15 as the Otters ramped up the defensive intensity. Also OV Coach Mike Stark asked his players to more aggressively trap the Tiger ballhandlers on the sideline at midcourt.

OV closed the third quarter on a 12-2 run that included seven points directly off MUHS turnovers, with five Otters scoring in the quarter’s final 2:25. The Otters then outscored the Tigers by 15-6 in the fourth quarter to win by 63-52. The team’s fans in the packed House of Noise were cheering as OV improved their season record to 9-1.

Coach Stark said it was the Otters’ game-long persistence with the press that ultimately wore the Tigers down.

“In the first half I thought they did a good job breaking our press, but we just did a good job of staying committed,” Stark said. “I just said stay committed, they will get tired and mistakes will happen. And we went on that six-, eight-point run, and the energy just changed in here. It was almost like a playoff atmosphere in here midway through the season.”

MUHS Coach Chris Altemose said despite the late struggles he was pleased that his team, which has had problems with turnovers this season, handled the OV press for as long and as well as it did.

OTTER JUNIOR CONNOR Denis has the inside track as he and Tiger senior Tassilo Luksch chase down a loose ball during Tuesday’s hoop contest at Otter Valley.
Independent photo/Steve James

“Our struggles with turnovers showed up again,” he said. “We had only five at halftime. That was our best half yet of the season. So signs of progress and growth. But they (OV) picked up their pressure, and we struggled late … It’s unfortunate, but all we can do is keep our heads up and keep working.”

The Otters took an 18-14 lead after a back-and-forth first quarter. The Tigers went up, 6-2, on four points from junior center Cooke Riney, who led the Tigers with 18 points, and senior guard Cam Whitlock’s short jumper.

But OV took charge as senior Logan Letourneau tossed in seven points in the period, and senior Lucas Politano scored four, including two game-opening free throws because one of the Tigers was assessed a technical foul for committing the heinous offense of dunking during warmups.

The Tigers’ man-on-man defense stiffened and held the Otters to 11 second-quarter points, six by junior Connor Denis. Meanwhile, the Tigers erupted for 18, including six by Riney and a quarter-opening three by senior guard Keenan Chicoine. And the Tigers closed the quarter on a 6-0 run to take a 32-29 lead.

TIGER SENIOR TASSILO Luksch drives the lane while OV senior Drew Pelkey defends during Tuesday’s boys’ basketball game at Otter Valley.
Independent photo/Steve James

In that quick spurt, senior forward Kyle Stearns hit two free throws, senior forward George Devlin put in an offensive rebound, and, with four seconds left, Riney took a pass from under the Tiger basket to the top of the OV key, powered around a defender and beat the buzzer with a layup.

Riney took over the game early in the third quarter, scoring six points inside, a spree offset by only a Denis jumper, and the Tigers led, 38-31, at 5:20. A Drew Pelkey free throw, a Brody Lathrop three and a Letourneau move in the lane was countered by only a Brady Lloyd drive for the Tigers, and MUHS’s lead was four at 40-36. Then Stearns converted inside and Whitlock hit his jumper, and the Tigers led by a game-high eight.

But then it all changed.

Letourneau hit two free throws. Denis converted two straight steals. At 0:40, Pelkey sank a three, and it was 44-44, and the gym was living up to its loud name. A Riney putback at 1:37 broke the spell, but two more Tiger turnovers led to transition hoops by Politano and Lathrop, with Lathrop’s coming at 0:02, and the Otters led by 48-46 entering the final period.

MUHS JUNIOR COOKE Riney grabs a rebound during Tuesday’s boys’ basketball game at Otter Valley.
Independent photo/Steve James

Lloyd opened the quarter by scoring in the lane to tie the game for the final time, but the Tigers went seven minutes without scoring again. Meanwhile, Politano, Letourneau and Lathrop hit from behind the arc, Denis added four points, and Lathrop sank two free throws as the Otters pulled away.

The Tigers once again outrebounded an opponent, 29-21, counting team rebounds, with Riney standing out. But they again lost the turnover battle, committing 16 to the Otters’ nine. After Riney’s 18 points, Lloyd scored seven, and Stearns, Chicoine and Whitlock added six apiece. Whitlock also excelled defending Politano, a dangerous three-point shooter, and added at least two assists and two steals.

Altemose said the Otters’ trapping had an impact, but the Tigers, who dropped to 2-6 against a tough schedule, also to an extent lost composure.

“We’ve just got to be under better control, throw better passes,” he said.

Altemose also praised the Otters for making shots when it counted, and his team for getting better.

“They’re a good team He’s got seniors out there that make plays, and they’ve played together a long time,” he said. “But we’re making strides. For us to have seven turnovers for most of the game, that’s a huge improvement for us.”

Letourneau and Denis paced OV with 16 points apiece. Lathrop was next with 14 points, while Pelkey added nine, and Politano chipped in seven.

Stark said the Tigers are better than their record.

“I don’t think we were ready for their defensive intensity,” the OV coach said. “We had trouble getting our shooters open in the first half. In the second half we screened a little bit more and got guys open a little bit more.”

SENIOR FORWARDS DREW Pelkey of OV and Kyle Stearns of MUHS battle for the ball during Tuesday’s basketball game at Otter Valley. Pelkey scored nine points, including a crucial three-pointer.
Independent photo/Steve James

He believes the Otters can make some noise in the Division II playoffs this season, especially if they keep working.

“Nine and one sounds pretty good halfway through the season. I think we’re right where we want to be,” Stark said. “But we don’t want to settle. We want to get better every day.”

Share this story:

More News
Sports

Commodore girls’ basketball overwhelms the T-Birds for a 38-25 victory

On Friday, the Vergennes Union High School girls’ basketball team broke open a tight defen … (read more)

Sports

Boys’ hoop: Tigers top Eagles; OV, VUHS prevail

In recent high school boys’ hoop action, Middlebury topped host Mount Abraham, and went on … (read more)

Sports

Two locals make Vermont Sports Hall of Fame

Two longtime Bristol residents area among this year’s 13 Vermont Sports Hall of Fame induc … (read more)

Share this story: