By Tom Haley
THE RUTLAND HERALD
BARRE, Vt. — Memories are made at Barre Auditorium. Springfield High graduate Gabby Wardwell won’t forget the ones that she made there over the weekend as a member of the Northern Vermont University-Johnson women’s basketball team.
Friday at Barre Auditorium in the Barre Granite Association College Basketball Classic, Wardwell snared a program-record 25 rebounds to go with 16 points in a 67-50 victory over Norwich University.
Saturday, her minutes were curtailed by an injury early in the game. The 6-foot-2 junior center still corralled 11 rebounds to help the Badgers in a 72-65 victory over Castleton University.
Paris Atuahene led the Badgers with 33 points, her day including a 16 of 17 showing from the free throw line.
Wardwell did not go back to Springfield over the summer. She stayed on campus working as a lifeguard.
“I got to utilize the gym and I also played once a week in a league in Burlington made up of college players,” Wardwell said.
Wardwell had a brief stint with the Castleton team after starting her career at Johnson.
“In the end, I found out where my real family is,” Wardwell said. “Johnson is my home away from home.”
A week before she set the Badger standard for rebounds in a game, she tied it by grabbing 23 rebounds. That only whet her appetite.
“I wanted every ball,” Wardwell said of her 25-rebound performance against Norwich.
Victories over Castleton have not been commonplace for the Badgers.
“I think it has been six years,” coach Greg Eckman said after the game.
This one did not come easily.
The Spartans brought a 4-0 record into the game and when Gwyn Tatton knocked down a 3-point field goal, it put them ahead 6-2.
Tatton’s baby hook in the lane ballooned Castleton’s lead to 16-11 early in the second quarter but the Badgers battled back to take a 31-29 lead to the locker room.
The game remained tight the rest of the way before the Badgers pulled away to the seven-point victory.
Elise Magro connected on a 3-pointer to put the Spartans up 39-38 but Wardwell scored on a putback to get the lead back for the Badgers.
That’s the way it went with neither team able to separate itself from the other.
It looked as though Castleton might be able to do that with 6:50 remaining in the game when Kelly Vuz sank a 3-pointer to give the Spartans a six-point (56-50) cushion.
A six-point lead was a big one on this afternoon.
The Badgers closed the margin to one (56-55) but Magro answered again with a drive to the hoop. She was fouled and completed the three-point play to give the Spartans some breathing room at 61-55.
Magro drove the baseline to get the lead back to six, 63-57, and with less than three minutes to go, the Badgers looked as though they might be in trouble.
This is where Atuahene put the Badgers on her back. She dropped in free throw after free throw. She drove hard to the hoop for a three-point play and seconds later went to the line again. It was there that she missed her only free throw of the game but the one that she swished gave the Badgers the lead, 64-63.
Atuahene then drove to the hoop for a layup to extend the lead and the NVU-Johnson men’s team, awaiting the next game, began the chant of “Defense-Defense.”
Paris made six more free throws down the stretch and the Badgers had the victory that pushed their record to 4-2.
“Paris has such a high basketball IQ. She always knows what she is going to do before she does it,” Wardwell said.
“Castleton is one of the best teams in the state year in and year out,” Eckman said, underscoring the accomplishment.
“And Paris is amazing. She has improved so much from her freshman year to this year.”
West Rutland’s Liz Bailey had another big game for the Spartans with 16 points and nine rebounds. Vuz had a team-high 17 points and Magro added 16 points.
Atuahene and Emma Buonanno were a devastating 1-2 punch for the Badgers with 33 and 23 points, respectively. Atuahene also snared 11 rebounds and distributed a team-high five assists.
Despite Wardwell logging just over 20 minutes, the Badgers were able to outrebound the Spartans 41-39. Tatton was a force on the boards for Castleton with nine rebounds.
NVU-Johnson is back in action on Dec. 2 when the Badgers travel to New York State to begin he North Atlantic Conference portion of the schedule. They will play Cazenovia on Dec. 2 and SUNY Poly on Dec. 3.
The Spartans do not have to wait that long. They are at Middlebury College on Tuesday.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Vt. Tech 89. Johnson 62
The NVU-Johnson men’s basketball team could not make it a clean sweep for the Badgers on Saturday at the Barre Auditorium, falling 89-62 to Vermont Tech.
Raymond Baka led the victorious Knights with 14 points. David Jordan had 11 and Maleek View added 10.
Jaylon Calvin led the Badgers with 16 points. Yeskin Walker-Williams followed with 12. Andrew Lewis and Raymond Baka tossed in 10 each.
tom.haley @rutlandherald.com
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