In the first meeting of the season between the Athol and Mahar boys basketball teams, the Bears put up 61 points to walk away with a 61-46 victory at Mallet Gymnasium. 

The Senators were determined to not let their rival light up the scoreboard the second time around on Tuesday in Orange. 

After the Bears scored 15 points in the first quarter, the Mahar defense took the game over, holding Athol to seven points in the second quarter, eight in the third quarter and five in the fourth to pull away with a 47-35 victory.

It was the 200th career victory for Senators head coach Chad Softic. 

“They really took it to us the first time around,”  Softic said. “[Athol coach Brian Patria] is doing a great job with those guys. They made some shots in the first quarter and we were really tight defensively. We did enough throughout. We’re starting to look like a Mahar team, being disciplined and playing good defense. We’re moving in the right direction.”

Angel Castillo knocked down a pair of 3’s in the third quarter — Athol’s lone two field goals in the frame — to keep the Bears in the game, but the Mahar defense took over in the fourth quarter. 

Athol entered the fourth trailing 39-30, but didn’t score until 1:36 was left on the clock when Aedan Erickson converted an and-one to cut the lead to 43-33. 

Conall Tontodonato made a shot with under a minute to go but it was the final basket of the game for the Bears, which were held to just four field goals in the second half. 

“Fatigue hurt us a little but there’s no excuses,” Athol coach Brian Patria said. “This is a rivalry game. We did everything we could to match their intensity on their home floor. Mahar is playing good basketball. We competed hard, we just couldn’t knock down shots late in the game.” 

Mahar’s Connor Sluder took a pair of charges to prevent baskets, with Softic crediting his defense’s intensity for holding down a fierce Athol offense. 

“Connor’s two charges were huge,” Softic said. “Our closeouts were better. We didn’t allow second chance opportunities. They made shots in the first quarter.” 

After eight minutes of action, it looked like the game was going to be a shootout. Ben Kearney had the hot hand for Athol, scoring seven points in the quarter. Will Barnes, Sluder, Gavin Sullivan, Hunter Martin, Lucas Isrow and Morgan Softic all scored for the Sens, with Mahar leading 21-15 going into the second quarter. 

Jayden Delgado came alive for the Senators in the second quarter, working the baseline to get good looks against the Bears defense. Delgado had six points in the frame while Kearney had five of Athol’s seven points, with Mahar holding a 28-22 lead at the half. 

Martin, Delgado, Cathal Davis and Barnes converted baskets in the third quarter while Isrow knocked down a late 3 to put Mahar ahead, 39-30, going into the final quarter. 

While the Senators’ defense was excellent in the fourth quarter, Athol was equally impressive on that end of the floor. Mahar didn’t score until there was 3:30 left in the frame, with Sluder getting to the rim for a layup. Barnes made a shot down low before Erickson broke the scoring spell with under two minutes to play for the Bears. 

Delgado led the way with 12 points for the Senators. Barnes tallied nine points, Isrow and Sluder each scored eight points and Martin finished with two points. 

Kearney tallied 12 points, Castillo scored eight points, Tontodonato had seven points and Erickson finished with five points in the loss. 

Girls basketball

Greenfield 38, Ware 30 — Amber Bergeron’s big offensive season continued on Tuesday night.

The Greenfield star notched her second 30-plus point output of the season on the road at Ware. She registered 30 points, equaling the home team’s total en route to a 38-30 Green Wave victory.

Bergeron drilled six 3-pointers on the night. Anna Bucala scored the other eight points for Greenfield, which won its second game in a row.

It was the Green Wave defense that guided them to their fourth win of the season (4-8). The visitors limited Ware to just two points in the second quarter, turning a 9-7 deficit into an 18-11 halftime advantage.

Turners 44, Putnam 38 — Taylor Greene scored 16 points — eight coming in the first quarter — to help lift the Thunder to a Franklin County League South win over visiting Putnam on Tuesday. 

Raygan Pendriss scored seven points, Steph Peterson tossed in six points, Madi Liimatainen recorded five points and Morgan Dobias added four points in the victory. 

Alpine skiing

Loomis wins 5th race

Mohawk Trail’s Addie Loomis has yet to be defeated on the slopes this winter. 

The freshman took first place in the fifth PVIAC race of the season on Tuesday at Berkshire East, completing the girls slalom course in a time of 44.05 seconds. 

Fellow Warriors Emmy Sisum and Sofiya Slocik-Gritzner weren’t far behind Loomis. Sisum placed second with a run of 46.14 seconds while Slocik-Gritzner earned third with a finish of 50.71 seconds to complete a Mohawk Trail podium sweep.

Naomi Den Ouden (12th, 57.23), Ohia Delhert (18th, 1:02.79) and Myah Grant (19th, 1:03.44) also had top 25 finishes for Mohawk Trail. 

Mohawk Trail’s Weston Den Ouden earned a second place finish on the boys side, taking second with a time of 29.66 seconds on the giant slalom course. 

Ben Makosiej joined him in the top 10, taking 10th with a run of 33.37 seconds. Grayson Bishop (11th, 33.53), Wyatt Sisum (12th, 33.6), Gage Patenaude (13th, 33.62) and Oliver Johnson (23rd, 35.35) all finished in the top 25 for Mohawk Trail. 

Boys swim

Turners 67, Monson 17 — Wins up and down the Thunder lineup propelled the visitors to a decisive victory in Monson on Tuesday.

Nik Martin won the 50-yard freestyle (25.34 seconds) and 100 free (59.52), while Turners also received victories from Liam Bliss (200 free, 2:17.24), Tyler Galenski (200 IM, 3:31.35), Cody McDonough (100 butterfly, 1:41) and Matthew Sibley (100 breaststroke, 1:43.28).

Turners swept the relays as well. The quartet of Martin, Bliss, McDonough and Sibley won the 200 medley (2:25.51), and the group of Martin, Sibley, Galenski and Bliss nabbed the 200 freestyle (2:07.31).

Girls swim

Monson 103, Turners 58 — Sophia McComb captured two individual victories in the pool for the Thunder on Tuesday in Monson.

McComb won the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 1:16.27, and also touched first in the 50 freestyle (29.56).

Turners won the 200 freestyle relay, as McComb, Addy Wood, Sylvie DiBartolomeo and Avery Heathwaite bested a pair of Monson teams.

]]>