ORANGE — There was a playoff feel at Mahar Regional School as a pair of returning MIAA Div. 5 semifinalists squared off in Hampshire League South action on Monday. 

The Senator boys basketball team hosted unbeaten Pioneer and it was a close game throughout the first half, Mahar leading 17-16 after one but the Panthers taking a 27-26 lead into intermission. 

It was a similar story to start the third quarter but once Pioneer was able to spread out the Senator zone and get it going from deep, the Panthers began to separate. 

Leading 36-35, Brayden Thayer got the run going by swishing a 3-pointer. Mahar’s Derek Collins countered with a 3 of his own but a pair of triples from Alex McClelland helped Pioneer take a 45-39 lead going into the fourth. 

Jackson Glazier nailed a pair of 3s early in the fourth and Thayer added another, helping the Panthers go up 56-40 with six minutes to play. Pioneer held on to move to 7-0 on the season with a 61-49 victory. 

“Coming here we knew it was going to be a challenge and it was,” Panthers coach Scott Thayer said. “We just had to meet that challenge. The first few minutes of the second half you could see we had a different level of mental engagement. I think that set the tone for the rest of it. It’s a good win. It’ll be another good [game] when they come to Northfield.” 

After a big win over Athol on Saturday, it was a disappointing result for the Senators (3-3), which played their style of basketball before the Panther run. 

“I thought for three quarters we played really good basketball,” Mahar coach Chad Softic said. “If you look at my chalkboard, transition defense was our number one thing. We didn’t do well at that all night. We kept the game fairly slowed down which helped us hang in the game and we did play well for three quarters. 

“It’s kind of the same story,” Softic continued. “We hit some adversity and we don’t respond to adversity well. It’s simple stuff. There was a stretch they had three straight transition baskets where nobody got back. The 2-3 rotations we weren’t getting out on people we needed to get out on. That’s the game. Credit to Pioneer for making those shots but we hurt ourselves and that’s the tough part.” 

It was Ames, Delgado and Lian Lopez-Baez who got Mahar going early, with Lopez-Baez and Delgado scoring back-to-back baskets late that gave the Sens their 17-16 lead after one. 

The defense picked up in the second quarter before Collins and Panther Will Glazier traded 3-pointers late. Kurt Redeker closed out the half with a bucket inside to give Pioneer the lead at the break. 

It was the transition game that hurt Mahar early in the third, with Redeker scoring a pair of baskets following missed shots while Thayer added a bucket on the break as well which helped Pioneer take a 36-33 lead before the 3-pointers began to fall. 

“We went full court and that helped,” Scott Thayer said. “In the first half we looked tired. Then we finally got a few to go in. We need to get the juice when the ball isn’t going in.”

Pioneer knew this would be a tough week with Mahar on Monday and Drury coming to Northfield on Thursday, two games that will certainly help shape the HL South title race. Still unbeaten, Scott Thayer said he likes what he’s seen from his group thus far. 

“We’re competing,” Scott Thayer said. “The team chemistry and the dynamic around it is incredible. They’re having fun and they’re practicing hard. I couldn’t ask for more. Now it’s about improving with every practice and every game.” 

McClelland finished with 17 points, Redeker tossed in 16 points, Thayer tallied 15 points and Jackson Glazier added 10 points in the win. 

Delgado and Collins both recorded 16 points, Ames scored seven points while Lopez-Baez added six points for Mahar, which goes on the road to face Lenox on Thursday. 

Frontier 49, Athol 43 — The Bears held a 30-25 lead going into the fourth when the Redhawk offense got into a rhythm. 

Max Millette posted nine of this team-high 19 points in the fourth while Alex Ellis and Rowan Modestow both scored six points in the frame, allowing Frontier to pull away with an independent victory at Mallet Gymnasium Monday. 

Modestow finished with 11 points, Ellis scored eight points and Garrett Dredge chipped in five points in the win. 

Ben Kearney led the way with 20 points for Athol while Ethan Goodwin tallied eight points, Ethan Bacigalupo scored six points and Aaron Ouellet added four points in the loss.

Greenfield 66, Hopkins 40 – Jon Breor went for a game-high 22 points, and the visiting Green Wave stormed out to a 21-8 lead after one quarter en route to a decisive Hampshire League South victory in Hadley on Monday.

Greenfield led 39-20 at halftime. Caleb Thomas scored 13 points for the Wave, while Grayson Thomas followed with nine points. Caleb Murray and Gavin Arsenault each tossed in eight.

Hampshire 57, Franklin Tech 33 – The Eagles fell into a 37-8 halftime deficit in a Hampshire League North loss on the road in Westhampton on Monday.

Brayden McDonough’s 10 points paced Franklin Tech, while Dylan Cullen added eight.

Smith Academy 50, Turners 44 – Tied at 36 entering the fourth quarter, the visiting Falcons outscored Turners by a 14-8 margin over the final eight minutes to capture a Hampshire League North victory on Monday in Turners Falls.

Turners stormed out to a 17-7 lead and led 28-23 at halftime before the Falcons recovered and took control.

Jackson Cogswell's 15 points led the way for the Thunder, and Davian Bala added eight points.

Girls basketball

Lenox 44, Greenfield 23 — The Millionaires led 21-14 at the half before outscoring the Wave 13-4 in the third to pull away with a Franklin County League North win at Nichols Gymnasium on Monday. 

Gloria McDonald finished with eight points, Elderina Cecunjanin tallied seven points and Anna Bucala scored two points in the loss for Greenfield. 

Mohawk Trail 34, Athol 18 — Ava Adams scored nine points in the Bears’ loss to the Warriors on Monday. 

Madi Hermes tallied four points while Abigayle Spooner finished with three points in the defeat. 

Weekend results

Boys basketball

Mahar 50, Athol 33 — The Senators took over in the second half to earn a win over their rivals in Orange on Saturday. 

Athol took a 16-14 lead into the break but it was all Mahar in the final 16 minutes, outscoring the Bears 23-7 in the third and 13-9 in the fourth to pull away with an independent victory. 

“I’m really happy to get the win but until we start playing responsible basketball with some urgency, it's going to be a long year,” Senators coach Chad Softic said. “We are just not there yet and we're not close and it's very frustrating. Hopefully we can find it for Monday or Pioneer will be painful. Athol is trying to find their glue and chemistry as well and I know Coach Patria will get them to where they need to be.”

Jayden Delgado led the way with 13 points and 10 rebounds, Derek Collins tallied 13 points and eight rebounds, Marshall Ames scored 12 points and snatched eight boards while Lian Lopez-Baez tossed in six points for Mahar. 

Ethan Goodwin tossed in seven points, Brandon Adams and Logan Cormier each scored six points while Oliver Johnson and Eli Wein each added three points for Athol. 

“Tough loss to good team,” Bear coach Brian Patria said. “Tale of two halves. First half we played together and hard. The second we chose the easy and undisciplined way emotions got the best of us, we got in foul trouble and they made baskets. No excuses. We need to play better and get unified.” 

Hockey

Ludlow 3, Greenfield 3 — Cam Hopkins, Jake Jurek and Shawn Baumann each found the back of the net for the Green Wave, which tied the Lions at Collins-Moylan Saturday. 

The Wave scored twice in the first but Ludlow answered with two in the second. Each team potted a goal in the third. 

Luca Siano and Shawn Beckwith each dished two assists while Jake Knight and Porter Hall also tallied an assist for Greenfield. Cooper Smith stopped 26 shots for the Wave. 

Friday results

Girls basketball

Franklin Tech 43, Athol 25 — Hannah Gilbert tossed in 16 points — putting her 13 shy of hitting the 1,000 point milestone — and 15 rebounds in the Eagles’ home win over the Bears Friday. 

Lili Inman tallied 11 points and  16 rebounds while Madyson Lynde added five points in the win. 

Greenfield 51, Palmer 35 — Tayler Bergeron put in 15 points, Gloria McDonald tallied 13 points, Elderina Cecunjanin finished with 11 points while Anna Bucala added eight points in the Wave’s victory against the Panthers at Nichols Gymnasium Friday. 

Youth hockey

FCHA results

Patrick Malloy scored twice while Danielle Zraunig and Owen Castine added goals in the FCHA 10U’s 4-1 win over Amherst on Saturday. 

On Sunday, FCHA fell to the  Yellow Jackets, 6-1, with Charlie Lovett scoring the lone goal.