Though the game opened with a quick three from Abby Nystrom and a quick two-point response from White River Valley, the tone was immediately altered as the Terriers came out on a mission Monday night in Holland Gymnasium.

From the opening tip, Bellows Falls set the tone with a hard-nosed, team-first effort on both ends of the floor. Defensively, the Terriers played with an “if you want it, you’re going to have to take it” mindset, holding the Wildcats to just a single free throw for the remainder of the opening period.

The effort was unmatched early — timely rotations, active hands, disciplined closeouts, and nothing easy at the rim. Anchoring it all was Nystrom, who swatted away everything that came her direction, recording an outstanding five blocks in the opening quarter.

That defensive dominance was complemented by hot shooting on the other end. Bellows Falls knocked down four threes in the opening frame — two from Nystrom and two from Gracie Patterson. Veronica Moore added four points, Avery Maxfield chipped in two, and the Terriers closed the quarter firmly in control, leading 18–3.

Bellows Falls carried that defensive energy into the second period but slowed offensively. It wasn’t until midway through the quarter that Moore sparked the Terriers, jumping a passing lane at midcourt and taking it the length of the floor for a basket. Still, the cold spell lingered as White River Valley began to find footing by turning defense into offense and creating rhythm in transition.

Nystrom steadied the moment late in the half, drilling a pull-up three to send Bellows Falls into the break up 23–11.

After the opening quarter, it felt as if the Terriers might run away with it — but the Wildcats weren’t going to fold easily. Momentum began to swing at times during the second, and the third quarter followed a similar tone.

Bellows Falls came out of halftime with energy, as Patterson corralled an offensive rebound and put it back for an easy two. The Terriers continued to generate extra possessions early in the third, but struggled to fully capitalize. As the quarter progressed, both teams traded baskets in transition, including a series of threes exchanged back and forth.

Everything was earned during this stretch. Moore was relentless defensively — pestering ball handlers, tipping passes, stealing the ball outright, and forcing rushed decisions. By the end of the quarter, tension filled the gym. What once felt like a clear runway to a win had turned into a tight contest, with Bellows Falls clinging to a 34–29 lead heading into the final period.

White River Valley struck first in the fourth, trimming it to a one-possession game. Both teams battled, but separation was hard to find early in the quarter.

A Wildcats timeout proved to be the moment the Terriers needed to regain control. Bellows Falls responded with extended defensive pressure, looking to speed White River Valley up. On the ensuing possession, Nystrom found a cutting Sophia Hallock, who finished impressively through traffic to give the Terriers a bit of breathing room.

The momentum shift was palpable. Patterson’s energy became infectious, repeatedly disrupting passing lanes and making clean catches nearly impossible. With just under two minutes remaining, Moore again delivered defensively, stealing the ball under the basket and converting an easy two to push the lead to six.

From there, the Terriers showed poise. Facing pressure, they handled the ball cleanly, advanced it with confidence, and used the clock to their advantage rather than settling for rushed looks.

That late-game composure didn’t surprise Head Coach, James Pecsok, who credited both the team’s start and their ability to respond when White River Valley made its push.

“I thought we did a really good job early moving the ball and getting open looks,” Pecsok said. “We were fortunate they didn’t hit a couple shots in the first half, but I also thought our defense was rotating really well. When you’re defending like that and hitting shots offensively, you put yourself in pretty good shape.”

“They’re a good team, and I knew they weren’t going to stop fighting,” he added. “Even when it looked like we had some separation early, I expected them to make a push. I thought we handled it really well down the stretch — especially in the fourth quarter. We handled the pressure, hit free throws when we needed to, took care of the ball, and got some key defensive stops.”

White River Valley managed to find a couple of late opportunities in attempt to close the gap, but Bellows Falls remained composed and closed it out, securing a 46–40 victory behind a complete team effort.

Abby Nystrom led all scorers with 21 points, while Avery Maxfield added nine and Veronica Moore finished with eight for the Terriers.

The Terriers are back in action Thursday night, traveling to Woodstock for a 7:00 p.m. tip.