Boys’ hoop playoffs begin, local teams look to advance

As the high school boys playoffs got underway on Tuesday, the area’s highest seeded team in Division II, No. 4 Otter Valley, advanced to a quarterfinal game this week with a victory.

Second-seeded Colby College on Saturday knocked the No. 7 Middlebury College women’s basketball team out of the NESCAC playoffs, 100-97 in two overtimes, in a quarterfinal matchup.

It was a certified big game for the Vergennes and Mount Abraham high school boys’ basketball teams on Friday, with both teams jockeying for better position in this week’s playoffs.

To highlight high school girls’ basketball action Middlebury and Mount Abraham both picked up rivalry wins over Vergennes.

In a high school boys’ basketball schedule lightened by weather postponements, Middlebury and Mount Abraham prevailed in their only outings, Otter Valley split two games, and Vergennes was idle.

The fact the Middlebury and Vergennes union high school boys’ basketball teams combined on Tuesday for the same number of points as the teams scored in the Super Bowl on Sunday (62) says a lot about the game the Tigers and Commodores played in a packed MU … (read more)

In recent local high school girls’ basketball play, Middlebury picked up another victory, Otter Valley split two games, and Mount Abraham suffered a rare loss.

A local rivalry game in which Vergennes won at Mount Abraham headlined the recent high school boys’ basketball slate. Also, Middlebury, Otter Valley and VUHS kept winning streaks alive, while the Eagles split two other games.

On Friday, the Vergennes Union High School girls’ basketball team broke open a tight defensive struggle when six Commodores scored in the decisive period, including highlight-reel transition hoops.

In recent high school boys’ hoop action, Middlebury topped host Mount Abraham, and went on to win a Saturday game.

The host Middlebury Union High School girls’ basketball team ended suspense early on Tuesday against injury-plagued visitor Colchester, bolting to a 17-2 lead after one period on the way to a 59-24 victory.

In recent local high school girls’ basketball play, Mount Abraham kept winning, including a dramatic home victory over Middlebury and a triumph on the road. In other action, MUHS won one road game and also hosted another on Tuesday and Vergennes and Otter … (read more)

In the Mount Abraham gym on Thursday night, the Eagles and the visiting MUHS took turns going on runs. In the end, the Tigers rallied last to defeat the Eagles, 51-45.

Mount Abraham’s winning ways and an in-county victory by Vergennes over Middlebury highlighted recent local high school boys’ basketball action. Also, the Tigers fared better in two other matchups, the Commodores split two other games, and Otter Valley lo … (read more)

In local high school girls’ basketball rivalry games, Middlebury breezed past Otter Valley, but the Otters bounced back to knock off Vergennes. Meanwhile, Mount Abraham won the only game it played between Jan. 22 and 28.