This Recap is brought to you by Pure Green Tees – Proud supporters of youth athletics.
Bellows Falls came into its quarterfinal matchup looking to replicate the hot shooting performance that carried them through the opening round. Instead, Saturday night at Holland Gym turned into a grind.
The Terriers ultimately fell to Vergennes 44–38 in a defensive, possession-by-possession battle that was tight for three quarters before the visitors created separation late.
Bellows Falls opened the game firing from beyond the arc but struggled to connect early. Despite the cold start from the outside, the effort was there from the opening tip — especially on the offensive glass. Cadence James was relentless in the first stretch, generating second-chance opportunities and keeping possessions alive.
Abby Nystrom would eventually break the seal inside to open the scoring for the Terriers. Even as good look after good look rimmed out during a frustrating first-quarter stretch, Bellows Falls continued to generate quality opportunities. Vergennes took advantage of the lull with a 6–0 run, but Veronica Moore settled things with a timely three-pointer to pull the Terriers within 6–5 and keep the margin tight.
Vergennes looked to dictate pace throughout, pushing the ball quickly in transition. The Terriers answered with hustle and discipline defensively, refusing to give up easy baskets. Nystrom set the tone with a sequence that embodied the effort all night — swatting away a shot, watching Vergennes grab the offensive rebound, then immediately blocking the follow-up attempt as well. Bellows Falls trailed just 9–7 at the end of the first quarter.
Nystrom left her imprint on nearly every corner of the floor. She opened the second quarter with another block — her third of six on the night — before taking the ball coast-to-coast and finding James in transition for two. After trading empty trips, Nystrom tied the game at 11 inside, and Avery Maxfield followed with a bucket to give the Terriers a 13–11 lead.
The effort plays kept coming. Olivia Hallock delivered one that brought energy to Holland Gym — sprinting down a loose ball near the sideline, corralling it before stepping out of bounds, and launching it back to a teammate while falling out of play. The sequence led to a fast break opportunity and injected new life into the pace of the game, even if the possession didn’t convert.
Vergennes responded — as they did all night — knocking down a three to reclaim the lead and carrying a 20–16 advantage into halftime.
The third quarter felt like the moment Bellows Falls might flip the script.
Nystrom opened the half with a pull-up three to cut it to 20–19. Vergennes answered. Nystrom then ripped the ball from a Vergennes ball handler and finished at the other end. Again, Vergennes responded. Gracie Patterson poked one free and took it the length of the floor to tie the game at 23–23. And again, Vergennes responded.
It was that kind of night.
James continued her strong presence on the glass, cleaning up a miss for two. But a late push from the visitors stretched the margin to 32–26 before Hallock drilled a three-pointer to keep it within striking distance at 32–29 heading into the fourth.
The game was still there.
Vergennes struck first in the final quarter. Bellows Falls executed a well-designed end line set for a clean Maxfield look to keep it within three. Then came the decisive run. Vergennes capitalized on several opportunities, extending the lead to 42–31 and forcing the Terriers into catch-up mode.
To their credit, Bellows Falls never wavered. Maxfield and Patterson added late buckets, and the defensive intensity remained, but time became the opponent as much as Vergennes. The Terriers closed the gap to the final 44–38 margin, but the fourth-quarter surge from the visitors proved decisive.
Bellows Falls’ season ends not for lack of effort, but in the reality of a tough shooting night against a team that answered every push.
The Terriers graduate seniors Veronica Moore, Addie Bacon, Olivia Hallock, and Cadence James — a group that helped steady this team and compete until the final horn.
A grind. A fight. A season that deserved that kind of effort on its final night.
Take a look back on the Terriers’ season.
Feature photo by: Kristie Lisai
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