Wednesday, December 5

Canaan started the season on a positive note, easily defeating the Craftsbury Chargers 62-32 Wednesday night in their season opener. Impressive offensive performances and scrappy defense were the key for the Eagles, who never trailed in this one. The Eagles were able to empty their bench, giving the starters the fourth quarter off. Canaan coach Nelson Mayhew described the game as "a good win. We did a lot of good things, but there are some things we still have to work on."

Connor and Zack Daley set the pace offensively for the Eagles early. Zack hit the first three shots of the game, notching 8 points in the quarter. Connor added 6 points of his own. Craftsbury struggled to find quality shots and second chance opportunities, as the Eagles controlled the boards from start to finish. A Jake Smith jumper in the final seconds of the quarter put the Eagles ahead 16-7 at the end of the first quarter.

Craftsbury was not disheartened by the early deficit, and opened the second quarter with a quick basket. Coach Mayhew then imposed a fullcourt press. The Eagles were able to force several turnovers and convert easy layups in transition. The Daley cousins led the way, accounting for 23 of the 25 points scored in the quarter. The half ended with the Eagles winning by a sizable margin, 41-14.

The pace of the game slowed down as the Eagles began rotating more substitutes into the rotation. The Eagles lead was 32 by the end of the third quarter, enough for Mayhew to remove his starters from the game.

The Daley cousins were the story in this one, tallying a combined 50 points despite sitting out the fourth quarter. Zack was the high-scorer with 26, while Connor poured in 24. The Eagles got big contributions on the defensive end from Jason Charest, and solid efforts on the glass from Smith and Jeremy Schichtle.

Ross Grube scored 14 points for the Chargers in the loss.