Wildcats Win Season-Opener
The KUA Girls' Varsity Basketball team opened its season with a 44-41 road victory over Proctor Academy. The lead changed hands several times with neither team building more than a 4 point advantage all game. KUA's Ella Bankert (Cuttingsville, VT) hit three shots from downtown in the first half while Taylor Soule (Lebanon, NH) chipped in with 7 points. Hana Caloras (Springfield, VT) hit a deep three from the corner to give Kimball Union a 1-point lead with less than 20 seconds to play in the first stanza, but the Hornets came storming back netting back-to-back buckets to take a 3-point lead (26-23) into halftime.
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The second stanza brought more back and forth action and five lead changes. Proctor held a slim lead (41-40) with 4:30 remaining, but they would not score again. Bankert gave KUA the lead for good with 3 minutes to play while Miranda Judd (Lebanon, NH) and Kate Fowler (Whitesboro, NY) sank insurance free throws down the stretch to secure the win.
Three Wildcats scored in double-figures. Christina Ryan (Rumson, NJ) and Soule added 13 points apiece while Bankert contributed 11. Soule and Judd shared rebounding honors with 12 and 7 respectively. Fowler came up huge in today's victory giving a strong defensive effort and drawing two offensive charges.
Overall, a solid team effort with 11 of 12 players seeing playing time and gutting out a road victory over a perennial powerhouse. The Wildcats will host Phillips Exeter Academy next Wednesday in Alumni Gymnasium.
