By Keith Harrington

Granville came into last night’s non-league basketball game with three games under their belt. Poultney was playing their season opener. For the first two quarters that discrepancy in court time was evident as the Golden Horde fashioned a first half lead. 

In the second 16 minutes the Blue Devils found their groove and came from behind to send the Golden Horde back across the New York/Vermont border with a 36-29 loss at the Devil’s Den at Capman Court. 

Granville used a 17-5 second stanza to take a 20-12 lead into halftime. Poultney responded with a 15-3 third quarter to turn the tables, and held the Golden Horde to just nine second half points. 

Turnovers were once again a factor for Dan Brown’s Granville team. 

“Yup, 27 turnovers and three points in the third quarter,” Brown said after the contest. 

Both teams struggled to score the basketball in the first quarter as the Blue Devils led just 7-3. 

The Golden Horde zipped off a 13-0 run to begin the second quarter to open a 16-7 advantage. Poultney pulled within 16-12 but a pair of buckets by Lilly Strout made it an eight point game at the break. 

The Blue Devils took control with a 9-0 spurt to begin the third and led 27-23 heading to the final segment. 

A 3-pointer from Emily Handley and a Kait DeBonis bucket pushed the lead to 34-23 in the fourth and a stifling defensive effort helped stave off the Golden Horde. 

Handley led Poultney with nine points on a trio of 3-pointers. Haley Hayes added eight and Bella Mack seven. 

Strout led Granville with eight points and 19 rebounds. 

Poultney is 1-0 in the season.Granville falls to 1-3. 

Photo Credit-Brooke DeBonis