By Marisa Dawson
The Bennington Badgers hosted the Blair Bears in a conference doubleheader on Tuesday, January 6, with both varsity teams delivering dominant home victories. The girls’ game tipped off first, followed by the boys, as Bennington improved their seasons with convincing wins.
In the girls’ contest, the undefeated Badgers (11-0) cruised to a 63-34 victory over Blair. Bennington held a narrow 11-10 lead after the first quarter but pulled away with a 21-8 second period, entering halftime up 32-18. They continued their dominance in the third quarter, outscoring Blair 18-4 to build a commanding 51-22 advantage before a 13-12 final frame.
Sophomore Macie Reiner led Bennington with 16 points, followed by junior Haydin Jackson with 15 and junior Skylar Johnson with 11. The Badgers shot an efficient 54% from the field and forced Blair into a low-output performance, holding them to just 34 points.
Girls head coach John O’Connor credited his players for the team’s perfect start. When asked about the biggest reason for their success, he said: “The girls, the players, they’re very good. They’ve worked very, very hard to get to where they’re at, and all the credit goes to the girls and how hard they work.”
On handling the expectations of an undefeated season, O’Connor added: “I think they’re competitors and they do a great job of wanting to get better every day, and that’s the focus. It’s a long season, so you just try to focus on getting better every day.”
O’Connor highlighted areas of growth: “Yeah, I think we have to continue to get better at our defense and rebounding. That’s something that the girls continue to work really hard at and something that you want to continue to do to keep this momentum going.”
The boys’ team followed with a 68-38 win over Blair, leading wire-to-wire in a balanced effort. Bennington jumped ahead 17-7 in the first quarter and maintained control throughout, outscoring the Bears in every period.
The Badgers shot 50% from the field and limited Blair to 33% shooting. Bennington’s Landon McCarville dominated the boys’ game against Blair, pouring in a game-high 25 points while adding 7 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and an impressive 7 blocks. Kale Lamberty and Jonas Neuverth each contributed 9 points, with Lamberty dishing out 6 assists and Neuverth providing strong defense with 4 blocks.
Boys head coach Luke Olson assessed his team’s position heading into a busy stretch: “We’re at the start of a really busy stretch- we have three games this week, three games next week. So we have to be smart and really good with our practices… I like where we’re at. We have a court stretch coming up, so we just have to make sure they stay focused. They did good tonight, but we have to have another one in a couple days.”
Reflecting on what he’s learned from wins and losses, Olson said: “They do a good job responding. I learned after losses they want to get better, it’s important to them. After wins, I think they do get hungry and they enjoy the success and they’re learning how to have that consistently.” He added, “I love this group. A lot of fun to be around, but it’s a work in progress. We have a long way to go, but I like where they’re at right now.”
Recent practice focuses have included finishing possessions, working on a solid defensive effort, and being more selective on their shots. Olson highlighted that they have also been working on gaining a better offensive rhythm as he said, “We shore those things up, we’re going to be awesome.”
Both Bennington squads demonstrated strong teamwork and depth in the sweep, setting a positive tone for the demanding weeks ahead.
Photos By Marisa Dawson
