With a well-traveled Brattleboro student section filling the stands, Reese Croutworst entered Monday night’s matchup against Burr and Burton Academy on the brink of history.

After a 16-point outing Saturday afternoon, Croutworst began the night sitting at 999 career points, but the opening minutes reflected Brattleboro’s identity — hard-nosed, disciplined defense and patient offense.

The Bears set the tone defensively early, contesting everything and refusing to give the Bulldogs clean looks. Offensively, Croutworst continued to lean into her team-first approach, moving the ball and trusting her teammates. That approach paid dividends as Juliette Pals carried the early scoring load, accounting for Brattleboro’s first six points as the Bears settled into the game.

Each time Croutworst brought the ball up, the visiting student section rose in anticipation. Despite several early shot attempts, the milestone moment didn’t come easily — something Croutworst admitted had been hard to ignore in the days leading up to the game.

“It’s kind of hard not to think about,” Croutworst said. “It’s been one of my goals since freshman year, so getting closer, it kind of consumes you. But at the end of the day, it’s just another game. You have to play with the mindset to win — even if I don’t score a single point.”

Then, after a loose ball found its way into her hands, Croutworst ripped through, drove past her defender, and drew a foul in the act of shooting.

The gym went completely silent — you could hear a pin drop.

She missed the first free throw.

The second dropped.

Career point No. 1,000.

The crowd erupted as play stopped and Croutworst was greeted at half court by coaches, teammates, and family. The public address announcer briefly acknowledged the milestone before the game resumed.

After the game, Croutworst was able to take a moment to reflect on finally reaching the milestone.

“It was super exciting,” she said. “Like I said, it’s been a goal of mine since freshman year, so it was super exciting to finally get that off my chest.”

Burr & Burton responded with a three on the ensuing possession, but Brattleboro answered with a Myah Waite three, keeping pace as the game remained tight heading into the second.

The Bears continued to defend at a high level, making every touch difficult. Parker Thibault made her presence felt in the paint with multiple blocks, while Brattleboro’s offensive ball movement remained steady and deliberate.

Back-to-back threes from Croutworst and Myah Waite helped extend the Bears’ lead and forced a BBA timeout, with the BUHS student section chanting “Talk it over.” Still, neither team could fully separate, and Brattleboro carried a narrow 22–18 lead into halftime.

Croutworst’s impact went beyond the milestone, dishing out five first-half assists as she continued to control the flow of the game.

The Bulldogs opened the third quarter with a three, but Brattleboro quickly responded. Finding rhythm offensively, Waite knocked down a three before connecting with Pals for a smooth 10-foot jumper in the middle of the floor as the Bears answered back. The Bulldogs refused to fade, crashing the offensive glass and grinding their way back into the game.

As the third quarter tightened, the game took on a playoff-like feel. The Bears applied pressure defensively, but BBA pushed ahead late, sending Brattleboro into the fourth trailing 33–29.

The final period opened with both teams struggling to score, but the intensity never dipped. Brattleboro continued to generate quality looks while defending at a high level. With 3:25 remaining and the Bears trailing 35–29, Brattleboro used a timeout to regroup.

Head coach Sarah Landers said that moment was about getting back to what the Bears do best.

“That’s something we talk about a lot — patience and not forcing things,” Landers said. “Sometimes we waver from the game plan, and it always comes back to bite us. We regrouped and got back to protecting the ball, being strong with it, and sticking to what we do. We cleaned up a few things, and that made a huge difference.”

Croutworst jumped a passing lane for a steal and pushed the break, finding Hailey Bristol for a layup to cut the deficit to four. On the next possession, Brattleboro forced another turnover — and Croutworst drilled a three.

One-point game.

Another steal followed. With both student sections on their feet — Burr & Burton chanting “Defense” and the BUHS crowd roaring “Let’s go Bears” — Croutworst pulled up again from deep.

Splash.

The Bears took a 37–35 lead with under a minute to play, sending the visiting crowd into a frenzy.

Fittingly, Croutworst sealed it on the defensive end, picking off a pass in the backcourt as BBA was forced to foul. After several intentional fouls, she returned to the line and calmly knocked down both free throws to extend the lead to four with 30 seconds remaining.

The Bulldogs battled for second-chance opportunities on their final possession, but Bristol secured the rebound. A final Bulldogs turnover followed, and the horn sounded moments later.

Brattleboro completed the comeback with a 39–35 victory — a night defined by resilience, defense, and a milestone that felt earned in every sense.

Afterward, Croutworst pointed to the team’s response under pressure late as the defining moment.

“The pressure was starting to get to us, but tonight we took control and fought through it to get the win,” she said.

Landers echoed that sentiment, looking beyond just one night.

“We don’t often get those close end-of-game situations where we’re playing with a lead,” Landers said. “Being able to handle that tonight is something I hope this group can build on.”

Croutworst finished with 16 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 8 steals, while Pals added 10 points and Waite chipped in 9 points and 5 rebounds.