The Milford girls’ basketball team is Division II’s surprise upstart this winter, and although ConVal played well against the Spartans Friday night in Peterborough, the visitors continued their strong season by dominating the glass and coming away with a 47-35 win.

“[Milford] really set the physicality level,” said ConVal’s first-year head coach Kyle Murray. “They just flipped the switch and said ‘I want it,’ and they went out and got it. That’s most of what rebounding is, and they did that well.”

ConVal scored just four points in the first quarter but looked better in the second, where a late Morgan Bemont three cut the Milford lead to 24-18. Bemont had a game-high 19 points; she’s the third-highest scorer in DII at 16.5 points per game.

“She definitely played some good ball tonight,” Murray said. “She’s always an ace, for sure.”

The Cougars are an aggressive team willing to put their bodies on the line. Spanish exchange student Eva Lopez and teammates Jada Stevens, Emma Johnson and Savannah McCarthy played with abandon. 

“We have good energy,” Murray said. “We have the want to win. All the pieces don't come together all the time – we're working on that – but effort's definitely not an issue.”

The Cougars did a lot of things right Friday night, but shot a low percentage and got outrebounded, while the Spartans, led by dynamic sophomore point guard LuLu Maguire (17 points) and senior captain Bailey Johnson (15 points), made their share and won the game. Milford is now 9-2 on the year and sitting in fourth place. 

ConVal is now 2-7 and hosts Sanborn on Tuesday. 

BOYS’ BASKETBALL

ConVal 62, Milford 57

Joe Gutwein led all scorers with 27 points on Friday as the Cougars beat Milford in overtime. Noah Stewart added 15, and Ethan Kinney had 13, including a clutch three-pointer and free throws in overtime. Jake Daniels played excellent defense. 

ConVal (7-3) is at Sanborn Tuesday. 

Mascenic 58, Woodsville 51

The Vikings, new to Division IV, had hoped to get a better read on their new opponents the second time around, and that worked out well Friday night, as Mascenic won their home rematch with Woodsville to give the Engineers just their second loss of the season. 

Dylan Barthel had a game-high 18 points to lead the Vikings; Adam Stauffeneker added 15. 

Mascenic (5-4) plays Holy Family Monday. 

Farmington 68, WLC 21

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

Conant 55, Stevens 39

Senior Brynn Rautiola scored a career-high 31 points in Conant’s road win at Stevens Friday night. The Orioles are now 12-0 on the season heading into Monday night’s rescheduled game at Gilford. 

INDOOR TRACK

On Thursday, two boys from ConVal’s winter track team competed in a field-event meet at Pinkerton Academy. Senior Nathaniel Mao had a long jump distance of 16 feet, 1.75 inches. Sophomore Maxx Telofski achieved a personal best with a shot put throw of 34 feet, 5.5 inches. That distance qualified Telofski to continue competing in the shot put for the winter season.

ConVal’s winter track team also entered two boys’ teams into the relay meet held at the University of New Hampshire on Saturday. The 4x160-meter team of seniors Ryan Charron and Nathaniel Mao and freshmen Cole Bouchard and Mason Deschenes finished 10th in 1:27.74. The 4x400-meter team, consisting of Charron, Mao, Deschenes and sophomore William Simard, finished 10th in a time of 4:12.03.

ALPINE SKIING

The ConVal alpine ski team competed at Crotched Mountain on Friday, where the boys’ team won the slalom competition over three other schools.

Garret Rousseau won the race in 56.44 for the two runs. Carter Rousseau was third and Ben Fraley fourth. Jake Alonso (14th) and Remy Kekuewa-Colon (31st) also finished for the Cougars.

In the girls’ race, ZoeyLazzaro (fifth, 1:04.15) was ConVal’s top finisher. Jennifer Hopkins (10th), Laramie Wilson (12th), Lucy Jackson (13th), IzzyJobin (14th), Lydia Cleveland (15th), Paige Mendez (18th) and Eliza Bull (19th) all finished in the top 20.

ConVal is home again on Friday.

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