By Marisa Dawson
The Bennington Badgers basketball teams hit the road for a conference doubleheader against Elkhorn North on December 12, with the girls kicking things off in impressive fashion before the boys put up a hard-fought battle. The girls team remained perfect at 4-0 with a commanding 68-47 victory, pulling away in the third quarter by outscoring the Wolves 19-5 in that quarter alone. Junior Harper Bohaboj led the way with 16 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals, while Skylar Johnson (15 points), Haydin Jackson (14 points), and sophomore Macie Reiner (11 points, 9 rebounds) all delivered in a balanced attack that featured strong defense and efficient shooting.
Girls head coach John O’Connor praised the win over a solid opponent while noting room for improvement. “We have to have a much better defensive effort and moving our feet so we quit fouling so much. But other than that, I thought Elkhorn North is a very good team and obviously in the conference, so it’s very likely that we’ll probably see them again at some point down the road. I’m happy to come in here and put together a tough win.”
In the nightcap, the Bennington boys team fell 66-76 despite a spirited fourth-quarter rally where they poured in 27 points. Juniors Landon McCarville and Blaize Jung each scored 18 points to pace the Badgers, with Jung adding 5 assists and 3 steals, while Kale Lamberty contributed 10 points and a team-high 4 steals. The Badgers showed grit trailing throughout but couldn’t quite close the gap against a hot-shooting Elkhorn North squad.
Boys head coach Luke Olson remained optimistic about his developing group. “We are still a work in progress. We’re pretty young, but I thought the guys came in and competed really well. They’re learning. I think that there were some stretches where they showed some pretty good grit and toughness, and we got a ways to go, but that’s why we need to practice.” He showed excitement about working with this team and developing for the rest of the season: “I like this group. It’s a lot of fun, but we have some growing pains and we knew we’d have them. So we’re excited.”
Photos By Marisa Dawson
