Another amazing season of Unified basketball came to an end on Tuesday, with the Tigers falling to Burlington in the state championship game. Unified basketball is a unique sport that aims to foster a competitive and inclusive experience for our student-athletes and strengthen our school's inclusive community. Although we came up a little short in our bid to repeat as state champions, our season was a complete success. We represented Middlebury by competing hard, demonstrated sportsmanship, playing as a team, and we supported each other along the way. We finished our regular season with a record of 7-1. We defeated Milton and Brattleboro in the first two rounds of the playoffs to earn our program's third overall trip to the finals.
The championship game started slow, and we fell behind in the second quarter, but we made a run towards the end of the first half to come within two points of Burlington at halftime. In the second half, Burlington grew their lead with consistent scoring and tough defense. We had an off shooting night, but we never quit and finished the game with our heads held high. Our scoring was led by Connor Swan. Tyreese Tucker led our team in rebounds. Colton led the team in steals, and Bug played really strong defense. Miley swished a 3-point shot near the end of the game. Ethan hustled and sparked us with high energy. Wyatt had a balanced game of good defense, passing, and rebounding. Ariel had numerous assists and led our team with a positive attitude and a big heart.
The teamwork and positive spirit that our team demonstrated this season was inspiring. We wish our two seniors, Tyreese and Ariel, the best and thank them for their commitment to Unified basketball. We’d also like to thank our school and community for supporting our team this season!
Photos by Alayna.
