Terriers Win On Guild's 3-Point Buzzer-Beater

WESTMINSTER, VT - It took a 3-pointer at the buzzer from senior Drew Guild, but the Bellows Falls Union High School basketball team found a way to hang on for a 44-41 win over feisty Twin Valley at Holland Gym in Westminster.

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1. BF Senior Drew Guild hits the winner at the buzzer 2. Terrier senior Michael Hall gets off a jumper in the paint 3. Twin Valley point-guard Colin Lozito concentrates at the free throw line. Photos by Joe Milliken

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"Drew came up to me and asked for the last shot, even before we got in the huddle, Bellows Falls coach Evan Chadwick said after the win. "When one of your captains ask for the last shot, I just had to give him the opportunity. He deserved it."

However, this one probably shouldn't have been that close, as the previously unbeaten Terriers had a 10-point lead early in the third quarter, but let the scrappy, one-win Wildcats back into the game with a chance to steal it at the end. This one was exciting from start to finish as there were 11 lead changes in the game, despite the Terriers having that double-digit lead at one point in the second half.

The first half was nip-and-tuck throughout as Bellows Falls senior-center Michael Hall and speedy, Twin Valley sophomore-point guard Colin Lozito took turns dominating the first quarter. Hall had nine points, four rebounds and two blocks, while Lozito had 9 points, three assists and a steal in the opening quarter, as the Terriers held a 13-11 lead. But back- to-back baskets from Lozito gave the Wildcats a three-point lead four minutes into the second quarter.

After the two teams traded baskets and some turnovers, a jumper from sophomore Ian McKeen and a Hall floater in the lane gave Bellows Falls a 25-20 point lead heading into halftime. Hall had 15 points at the break for the Terriers, while Lozito had 11 points for Twin Valley.

The Terriers came out fast and built a 10-point lead throughout the third quarter, before Hunter Therrien jumper at the end of the stanza got Twin Valley to within six points (34-28) heading into the final quarter. Yes, the one-win Wildcats were giving the unbeaten Terriers all they could handle.

In the final quarter, the 5-foot-6 Lozito got hot again, hitting back-to-back 3-pointers and all of a sudden the game was tied at 34. The teams would trade baskets on four possessions, before Hall blocked a shot and then hit a turn-around jumper in the lane for a three-point Terrier lead with just under three minutes to go.

However, after a Cade Nesbitt jumper cut the lead to one, Hall fouled out of the game with just under two minutes left on the clock. After Twin Valley freshman Sam Molner hit one-of-two free throws, the score was tied at 41 with 57 seconds left on the clock and a Bellows Falls time out called.

After a turn over and a Terrier missed jumper, the Wildcats got the rebound and called time out with eight seconds left. On the in-bounds pass, however, Lozito was fouled and had a chance to win it at the foul line, but missed the front end of a one-and-one, and the Terriers got the rebound and called time out.

With five seconds left, Terrier senior Drew Guild took the in-bounds pass and with a defender right in his face, went up and hit the game-winning, 3-pointer which left .2 seconds left on the clock for the win. After the shot, Guild was mobbed by his teammates, his coach and even a couple fans.

"I told coach that I wanted to take the shot," Guild said after the win. "I was just thinking about following through on my shot and as I let it go, the arc on the shot felt right."

After the game, coach Chadwick praised the Twin Valley comeback, as well as the play of his senior captain. "Twin Valley is a well-coached team, so they are never out of a game… and Michael Hall really played a great, all-around game for us. He is fully healthy now and is not only scoring, but also playing great defense and rebounding."

Lozito led all scorers with 23 points, while Nesbitt pitched in with seven for the Wildcats. For Bellows Falls, Hall had an outstanding all-around game with 21 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks, while Ian McKeen pitched in with six points.The win improved Bellows Falls at press time)to 5-0 on the season, while Twin Valley dropped to 2-6.