WESTHAMPTON – Connor White scored 14 points, and the Belchertown boys basketball defense clamped down to defeat Hampshire Regional 60-42 on Monday in Westhampton.

The Orioles (5-2) used a 9-1 run to separate in the first quarter after an early 5-5 score. Belchertown blew the game open int he second with a 12-2 spurt.

Henry Andette (two 3s), Tyler McDonald and Ty Bogdanovich (tow 3s) each scored eight points. Ten Orioles found the score sheet in their second straight victory.

Adam Golasinski led the Raiders (1-8) with nine points. Kyle Dale, who broke 20 in three of his past four games, put in eight along with Finn Radowicz and Benjamin Pierce.

The Raiders were playing to honor the life of Maddie Schmidt, an 8-year-old Southampton native who died in late December after a battle with cancer. 

The team encouraged everyone in attendance to wear teal or purple, and balloons of the same colors floated in a packed gym. Donations were taken at a table which raised more than $1,000 for the Pediatric Palliative Care Program at the Baystate Health Foundation.

Belchertown’s coaches and captains presented Schmidt’s mother Nora with a bouquet of teal and purple flowers before the game’s starters were announced.

Kyle Grabowski can be reached at kgrabowski@gazettenet.com. Follow him on Twitter @kylegrbwsk.]]>