HUGE THIRD QUARTER PUSHES HORNETS OVER MIDDLEBURY
By Ben Kaufmann
ENOSBURG – Enosburg broke open a halftime tie with an 18-5 advantage in the third quarter against Middlebury on Saturday, riding 17 points from Devyn Gleason and 16 from Gavin Combs to a 51-36 victory over the Tigers.
Every active player for Enosburg (6-3) scored on Saturday in a well-rounded effort at both ends of the floor. Trailing by three after a quarter, Enosburg leveled things at 24-24 by halftime then held the Tigers (5-8) to just 12 second-half points to pick up a comfortable win.
“We came out just really focusing on that defensive end,” said EFHS assistant coach Wyatt Larose, filling in for head coach Chad Lovelette, who was out sick. “I think they had 17 in the first quarter and 24 at halftime and we really came out with a different mentality. Just help-side and being in the right spots, it fed our offense well.”
And Enosburg’s offense did run well, especially in the 18-point third quarter as Gleason tallied 10 points and Combs added four. The more Gleason and the rest of the Hornet guards hit from outside, the more opportunity arose for Combs and Silas Kane, who fell victim to foul trouble and finished with four points.
“Once we started to get some penetration, we were dumping it off to the bigs and they were finishing well tonight,” Larose said.
Saturday’s game got off to a flying start, with a beautiful pace aided by zero fouls in the first six minutes of play. Four straight points from Combs, assisted by Nathaniel Robtoy after an offensive rebound and Gleason after a steal, had Enosburg down only 9-8 just past the midway point of the first. Middlebury answered with an 8-2 run but Gleason and Combs responded with four straight points to end the first down 17-14.
Aydan Dash kicked off the second with a three off a Gleason pass, though it was rapidly countered by one at the other end. The offenses both fell quiet for much of the quarter, with more than two minutes passing before Gleason hit a three to square the game at 20-20 midway through the second. Kane and Combs countered four straight Tiger points with two each to knot the game at 24 apiece with 2:40 remaining before halftime – that score held until the break.
“I think once they went man (to man) we were able to kind of settle into our offense, their zone created some turnovers early but we were kind of able to settle into it,” Larose said when asked about his team’s better ball security as the game went on.
Though Larose was unwilling to take credit for a movie-quality halftime speech, he certainly could have without any objection as his Hornets came out of the locker room on a mission. Gleason drew a foul on a three and made all attempts, Combs put back an offensive rebound, Ethan Hogaboom made a pair of free throws and Combs made a brilliant save to set up a Gleason runner. At the midway point of the third quarter, a 9-0 run had the Hornets up nine. With three players already at three fouls apiece, Enosburg kept the pressure on to build its lead in case of catastrophe. Combs answered Middlebury’s first points of the half by making a basket then immediately taking a charge. Robtoy assisted a Gleason three and Shea Howrigan made a tough layup to help the Hornets to a 42-29 lead entering the fourth.
Any thoughts of a comeback were dashed as the Enosburg defense locked in to open the final frame, allowing a single basket in the first half of the fourth quarter. Gleason hit both ends of a one-and-one and Blair Archambault made a three to extend Enosburg’s lead and effectively put the game away. A free throw from Landon Blake and three of four – following a personal and technical foul to Middlebury – from Robtoy closed the game out for the hosts.
Enosburg returns to action Tuesday, hosting a very strong North Country (10-0) team.
