WILMINGTON- For the second year in a row, the Twin Valley girls’ basketball team is returning to the Barre Auditorium. They did it with grit, sheer determination, and most of all, solid team defense. The Wildcats are one step away from a division III championship. But for now, they can take pride in defeating Green Mountain.

The first quarter was the Wildcats’ defining moment. The Crawford sisters, Kylie-blu and Bryer-lyn, led the way, scoring 10 of the team’s first 12 points. Kylie-blu Crawford drained a three-fer to start things off. Bryer-lyn hit back-to-back deuces to make it 7-0, Wildcats, and Green Mountain was forced to call an early timeout. The temporary stoppage didn’t help the Chieftains. Bryer-lyn Crawford made a superb give-and-go pass to co-captain Devon Spirka, who drove to the hoop for the basket. Then Kylie-blu Crawford hit another three-fer, to the delight of the Twin Valley bench.

Green Mountain’s Georgia Ladd broke the ice by hitting the first of two free throws. Her teammate McKala Benson scored another deuce. But Twin Valley’s Sam Bernard responded with a strong drive to the basket and scored. Spirka drained a huge three-point play at the buzzer and the Wildcats led 14-3, after the first quarter. “I thought if we could get out to a big lead, we’d be in good shape. I didn’t think it was possible in a quarterfinal game, but if there was a turning point that was it,” said coach Buddy Hayford.

The Chieftains’ Emma Lisle started things off in the second quarter with a basket. Benson followed with the steal and a layup and they chipped away at the Wildcats’ lead. But the Wildcats never let things spiral out of control. Spirka found Bernard under the basket and scored. Green Mountain’s Sara Groshen stole a pass to Kylie-blu Crawford and took the ball to the hole. But Spirka stole it back and made a lay-up. She added two more points at the free-throw line and the Wildcats led 25-10 at halftime.

Hayford told his team at halftime to come out strong in the third quarter. Once again, the Crawfords answered the call. The Chieftains gave Bryer-lyn Crawford problems with a tough defensive press. They almost stole the ball, but Bryer-lyn found Kylie-blu wide open and she made the easy layup. Kylie-blu Crawford added another three-fer and gave the Wildcats a 20-point lead, their largest of the game.

The Chieftains tried to muster one more rally, but Bryer-lyn Crawford made a dazzling play that ended it all. Crawford maneuvered her way through a triple-team defense, drove to the hoop, and found Bernard under the basket, who finished it off with a deuce. Kylie-blu Crawford added another basket, Spirka fed a beautiful back-door pass to Bryer-lyn Crawford, and, on another play, Spirka drove through traffic, found Abbi Molner under the basket, and Molner finished it with a bunny off the backboard. The Wildcats ran out the clock in the final minutes and won with authority, 48-31.

“I don’t think many people gave us a chance or even a passing thought that we could make it back to the Aud. Now they’re 19-3,” said Hayford. “I’m not amazed or shocked. I know how hard they’ve been working and they know what wins the big game: defense and rebounding.”

Spirka scored 16 points and made seven assists, six rebounds, and three steals; Bernard scored 12 points and made eight rebounds and two steals; Kylie-blu Crawford scored 12 points (four three-fers) and made six rebounds and three steals; co-captain Alicia Laughney made five rebounds and two steals; Bryer-lyn Crawford scored six points; and Molner scored two.

The Wildcats play number-one seed and defending division III state champions Lake Region on Saturday, February 27, at the Barre Auditorium. Tip-off is at 6:30 pm.