HAMPDEN – Bangor star forward Emily Morse said Tuesday a loss is a loss regardless of the opponent. But to Hampden standout Amanda Rodgerson, the Broncos’ narrow 53-51 win over the Rams was as good as it gets in the regular season.
“When we play Bangor, there is a feeling that – we’re playing Bangor. They’re the big kid on the block. They are [our biggest rival],” said Rodgerson, whose team improved to 4-1.
Rodgerson gave the Broncos an early five-point lead, scoring 10 of Hampden’s 11 points in the first quarter. The 6-foot forward, who finished with 18 points, also put the exclamation point on Hampden’s win when she swatted away a Bangor inbounds pass with two seconds left.
For Morse, who scored a game-high 21 points, the loss was a reminder of how far 2-2 Bangor has to go this season.
“We want to get to the tournament. It doesn’t matter how we get there,” Morse said. “They played hard. We’ll look forward to the rematch. We have got to pick up our intensity. We’re young, we’ll learn, people will improve.”
The Broncos’ smothering 1-3-1 defense shut down the Rams’ post players, but nothing could stop Morse, who scored a game-high 21 points.
Yet, every time the Rams tried to even the score, the Broncos answered immediately with a scoring spurt and contributions from all over – even from players who had just come off the bench.
In the second quarter, Morse capped a steal with a 6-foot jumper to tie it with 3:20 left in the first half. But Amy-Jo Crawford’s 3-pointer sent the Broncos on an 8-1 run that put them back out in front.
Bronco Lisa Miller-Baeza followed Crawford’s bomb with her only field goal of the game and Alicia Estley scored on a put-back to make it 20-15.
“I was pretty confident through the game,” Hampden coach Kimberly Haggan said. “When [starter] Dustin Peat came out, Alicia Estley stepped up.”
Hampden led by as many as eight in the third, but saw that margin dwindle to one when Bangor’s Kori Dionne converted a steal into a lay-in with 1:30 left in the period. But the Broncos sprang back again when Peet sank two from the line and Crawford made a lay-in.
It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that the Rams were able to wage a convincing rally. Part of the reason was their 1-3-1 zone defense denied the Broncos a field goal for the first three minutes of the period. And the Rams’ best stepped up.
Morse began the rally when she penetrated Hampden’s zone defense and scored on a jumper. Then Kristen Strout scored from the lane and Morse made a big lay-in to make it 41-39 Hampden. Then Ram Alison Smith motored past Crawford and tied it on a put-back with 3:45 left.
After the two teams traded baskets, Nikki Hutchinson pulled Bangor within one with :57 left by sinking two from the line.
But when Bangor got the ball with :13 left, Morse was called for charging and Bangor lost its best chance.
When the Rams got the ball back again, they called a timeout with :02 left, but Rodgerson batted away their last chance to score.
“There isn’t a lot you can do in two seconds,” Bangor coach Tom Tennett said. “We wanted to get it in to Nikki Hutchinson in the post. But Rodgerson made a nice play and deflected it.”
Broncos 53, Rams 51
Bangor girls (2-2) Hampden (4-1)
Name G AG F AF TP Name G AG F AF TP
Harriman 4 10 2 4 10 Peet 0 9 3 4 3
Dionne 1 4 2 5 4 Crawford 4 13 5 10 14
Strout 3 7 0 0 6 Ross 0 3 2 3 2
Morse 10 23 1 3 21 Rodgerson 5 15 8 8 18
Wright 0 1 0 0 0 Estley 3 3 1 2 7
Smith 1 6 0 0 2 Smith 2 5 1 4 5
Hutchinson 1 2 4 4 6 O’Donnell 0 2 2 4 2
Kenny 1 1 0 0 2 Miller-Baeza 1 2 0 1 2
Crockett 0 1 0 0 0 Carney 0 0 0 0 0
Wells 0 0 0 0 0 Paime 0 0 0 0 0
Frazer 0 0 0 0 0 Smith 0 0 0 0 0
Curtis 0 0 0 0 0 Rivers 0 0 0 0 0
Totals 21 55 9 16 51 Totals 15 52 22 36 53
Bangor 6 16 33 51
Hampden 11 23 38 53
3-pt. goals: Bangor (0-3): Morse 0-2, Smith 0-1; Hampden (1-6): Crawford 1-4, Estley 0-1, Smith 0-1
Attendance: 80 (est.)
Preliminary: Bangor JVs52, Hampden 43
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