TORRINGTON – An explosive first quarter between the Torrington High School Lady Blazers basketball team and Alliance saw the Lady Blazers go from an 8-2 deficit to a 17-9 lead in just four minutes during the home opener on December 17.

Torrington attacked the second quarter with even more intensity. An aggressive Torrington offense netted 21 points while an ironclad Lady Blazer defense completely shut out Alliance for a 38-9 halftime lead.

Torrington widened its lead in the second half to 40 points and went on to post a 62-22 victory for the Lady Blazers’ first home performance of the 2024-2025 winter season.

Four fast and furious quarters

Torrington’s defense hounded Alliance on the Lady Bulldog’s first possessions as pressure by junior Natalie Long and senior Jaycee Hurley forced several turnovers.

Junior Kennedy Reinhardt opened scoring for the Lady Blazers with a jumper.

Alliance responded with a six-point run to pull ahead, 8-2, with three minutes remaining in the first quarter.

Alliance only enjoyed the lead for less than a minute as Torrington battled back.

Long went 2-for-2 at the free-throw line and Reinhardt drained a 3-pointer. A steal by junior Kieana Gunhammer returned possession to the Lady Blazers.

Reinhardt followed with a close-range shot and Torrington captured the lead, 9-8, six minutes into the game.

Senior Olive Osmera found an opening in the perimeter to score. A steal by Osmera set up senior Madix McIntosh to score a layup.

McIntosh forced a turnover with a steal and Osmera and Reinhardt rounded out scoring in the first quarter with a free throw and inside shot, respectively.

Torrington found itself ahead, 17-9, as the second quarter began.

The Lady Blazers overwhelmed Alliance in the second quarter, tossing in 21 points while preventing Alliance from scoring.

Osmera set the pace offensively with a pair of outside shots. Reinhardt drained a trey and netted a jumper. McIntosh and Long each tallied four points while Hurley sank an inside shot.

Defensively, Torrington forced turnovers with steals or defensive pressure by Hurley, Osmera, Long and McIntosh.

Torrington led by nearly 30 points, 38-9, at halftime.

The Lady Blazers outmaneuvered Alliance in the third quarter by an 18-8 margin. Reinhardt led the way offensively with four buckets for eight points. Long converted an and-1 and tossed in a close-range shot. Osmera swished a 3-pointer.

A buzzer-beater by Hurley placed the Lady Blazers up, 56-17, at the end of the third quarter.

Torrington’s starting lineup scored six more points in the fourth quarter, including buckets by McIntosh and Reinhardt and a pair of free throws from senior Teryn Stokes.

The Lady Blazers’ second string stepped into the game in the fourth quarter and finished the game off with Torrington in possession and control of the scoreboard.

Reinhardt set the momentum for Torrington in scoring against Alliance, netting an impressive 24 points. Two additional Lady Blazers scored double digits – Osmera with 13 and Long at 11. McIntosh contributed eight points, Hurley four and Stokes two.