This was a great week for the Lady Blazers picking up an important win over Buffalo. Our game plan was to come out strong and be the more aggressive team, which we were able to execute and get out to an early lead.”

Coach Chris Strampe

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The Lady Blazers travel to play Douglas on Friday at 5:30 p.m.

TORRINGTON– The Torrington High School Lady Blazers maintained their undefeated conference record with a 60-35 victory against Buffalo at home on Saturday, February 8.

Torrington established a 31-17 halftime lead and never looked back, topping Buffalo in scoring, 29-18, in the second half.

The Lady Blazer’s triumph improved Torrington’s overall record to 8-5 while the Lady Blazers remain the No. 2 team in the 3A East Conference with a 5-0 record.

Torrington also shattered a five-year winning streak by Buffalo against the Lady Blazers.

“This was a great week for the Lady Blazers picking up an important win over Buffalo,” coach Chris Strampe said. “Coming into this game, we knew that we had to get a win to keep pace with Buffalo and Douglas (in the conference). Our game plan was to come out strong and be the more aggressive team, which we were able to execute and get out to an early lead. As the game went on, we stepped up our defensive intensity to widen the gap and pull away for a 25-point win.”

Strampe described Saturday’s game as an “awesome team win” with each player on the court making positive contributions.

“(Senior) Teryn Stokes anchored us down low, finishing with 15 points and nine rebounds,” Strampe noted. “(Junior) Natalie Long was aggressive to the hoop, accounting for 13 points and four assists. (Senior) Olive Osmera had the hot hand on the night finishing with 12 points on 4-of-6 from the 3-point range and (senior) Jaycee Hurley chipped in eight points and five assists.”

The Lady Blazers are gearing up for a busy week with three games, including two home matchups versus Bridgeport and Newcastle and an away game versus Douglas.

“I like the course we are on and hope to keep playing our best basketball as we move towards the postseason,” Strampe added.

A four-quarter blitz

The Lady Blazers came out fast and furious in the first quarter against Buffalo to double the Lady Bison in scoring, 16-8.

Stokes paced the Torrington offense with a pair of inside shots and a three-point play. Osmera drained her first trey and junior Kennedy Reinhardt scored twice from inside the perimeter. Reinhardt also wrangled a steal and reached up for a block.

Torrington topped Buffalo in scoring, 15-9, in the second quarter. Long netted two inside shots, a pair of free throws and scored on a fastbreak for eight points. Osmera tossed in another outside shot while Hurley and senior Madix McIntosh both contributed jumpers.

The Lady Blazers dominated the scoreboard at halftime, 31-17.

Torrington won a physical third quarter by one point, 12-11. Osmera swished a pair of outside shots and Stokes went 2-for-2 from the charity stripe and scored a layup. Reinhardt contributed a bucket while McIntosh snatched a steal.

The scoreboard favored the Lady Blazers, 43-28, as the final quarter began.

Torrington tallied 17 points in the fourth quarter while a gritty Lady Blazers defense held Buffalo to seven. Hurley scored on two fastbreaks and tossed in a jumper for six points. 

Torrington’s reserve players stepped onto the court to finish off the job late in the fourth quarter with a close-range shot by junior Kieana Gunhammer and a free throw each by sophomores Kadence Schamel and Zaela Rios.