Camden-Rockport, Mount View to square off in semifinals

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BANGOR – Camden-Rockport hasn’t been quite the same team since starting point guard Anna Sommo enrolled in a one-semester program at another school with four games left in the season.

Though they’re working through a transitional phase, the Windjammers showed Saturday that they’re ready to challenge for the Eastern Maine Class B title.

Top-seeded Camden-Rockport exhibited confidence and poise, earning a 62-54 quarterfinal victory over No. 8 Maine Central Institute of Pittsfield at the Bangor Auditorium.

Coach Jay Carlsen’s 18-1 Windjammers move into Wednesday’s 7:05 p.m. semifinal against No. 4 Mount View of Thorndike (17-2), a 55-46 winner over No. 5 Orono.

Camden-Rockport, which won its first tourney quarterfinal since 1988, beat Frank McGrady’s pesky Huskies for the third time this season. Seniors Megan Cressler and Eliza Magro paced the ‘Jammers, who regained the lead late in the third quarter and played smart down the stretch to hold onto it.

“We’ve got enough depth and versatility that we can insert Cressler either at the point, in the post, or on the wing,” Carlsen said. “She’s really the one who makes us go, but we’ve got a lot of good role players.”

MCI (13-6) led 41-37 when two Cressler foul shots opened a 7-0 run late in the third quarter. The ‘Jammers regained the lead on a Toni-Lynn Robbins jumper and Cressler’s rebound hoop.

The Huskies hung tough, but 3-pointers by Magro and Cressler helped give C-R a 52-47 lead with 5:14 to play. The ‘Jammers held the lead with patience and tenacious rebounding.

C-R scored six straight points from the foul line, four coming off rebounds of missed free throws, to put the game out of reach. The ‘Jammers outscored MCI 29-13 from the foul line.

Cressler went 13-for-16 from the line en route to 22 points and nine rebounds. Magro added 10 points, Rebecca Neville eight, and Lauren Withey seven points and eight boards in C-R’s balanced attack.

Sophomore Amanda Leavitt tossed in 19 points for MCI, while Diana Hodges provided 10 points and six rebounds and Katie Baker had 12 points and seven boards.

In the afternoon game, Mount View took advantage of a dominating post player and the experience of four seniors making their fourth trip to the Auditorium to beat the ’98 state champs.

Naomi Gillette, a 6-2 senior center, owned the lane with 19 points, 16 rebounds, and three blocked shots for Charlie Wing’s Mustangs.

“It’s not the same playing here as it is playing anyplace else, but by the fourth year, you’re prepared,” Gillette said.

Mount View, the only team to beat Camden-Rockport, scored the last eight points of the first half, holding the 15-4 Riots scoreless for almost six minutes. Rachel Cochrane opened the run with a rebound basket, then Gillette scored on an offensive board to put Mount View ahead 21-19 with 2:22 left.

Jumpers by Morgan King and Ellen Ward gave the Mustangs a 25-19 halftime lead and the 16-3 run continued into the third quarter, pushing the advantage to 33-22.

“Coach [Wing] always says the most crucial time is the first four minutes of the third quarter and we came out strong there and didn’t let up when we were ahead,” Gillette said.

Scrappy senior guard Sarah Cole helped Mount View preserve the lead with three steals for layups during a span of 2:40. She had nine points, three assists, and three steals, while Cochrane provided eight points and three assists.

Ward added eight points, and Kim Stevens had nine rebounds.

Sarah Marquez scored a game-high 30 points and grabbed six rebounds for Orono. Jessica Libby contributed seven points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and two steals.

Mustangs 55, Red Riots 46

Orono (15-4) Mount View girls (17-2)

Name G AG F AF TP Name G AG F AF TP

K. Libby 0 3 1 6 1 R. Cochrane 3 9 2 5 8

Mehuren 1 8 0 0 2 Morse 1 2 2 2 4

J. Libby 3 13 0 0 7 Ward 4 5 0 1 8

Freese 1 4 0 0 2 Cole 4 10 1 2 9

Marquez 12 26 2 2 30 McGovern 0 0 0 0 0

Ventura 1 6 2 6 4 Gillette 8 10 3 10 19

Craine 0 1 0 0 0 King 2 2 1 2 5

Stevens 1 5 0 2 2

Totals 18 61 5 14 46 Totals 23 43 9 24 55

Orono 13 19 33 46

Mount View 13 25 42 55

3-pt. goals: Orono (5-23): K. Libby 0-2, Mehuren 0-4, J. Libby 1-5, Freese 0-1, Marquez 4-11; Mount View (0-5): Morse 0-1, Cole 0-4

Windjammers 62, Huskies 54

MCI girls (13-6) Camden-Rockport (18-1)

Name G AG F AF TP Name G AG F AF TP

Gustin 0 0 0 0 0 Brown 0 0 0 0 0

Graham 0 3 0 0 0 Beveridge 1 3 1 2 3

Crudell 2 9 2 3 6 Neville 3 3 2 4 8

Thompson 0 0 0 0 0 Russo 0 0 0 0 0

Leavitt 9 17 0 0 19 Robbins 3 5 0 0 6

Baker 4 6 4 5 12 Daily 2 12 1 2 5

Hodges 2 8 6 8 10 Withey 0 3 7 8 7

Susi 1 1 0 0 2 Dickey 0 0 0 0 0

Cummings 0 0 0 0 0 Magro 2 5 4 8 10

Raleigh 1 3 1 5 3 Bedford 0 2 1 2 1

George 0 0 0 0 0 Cressler 4 10 13 16 22

Friend 1 4 0 0 2

Totals 20 51 13 21 54 Totals 15 43 29 42 62

Maine Central Institute 11 28 41 54

Camden-Rockport 16 30 43 62

3-pt. goals: MCI (1-11): Graham 0-2, Leavitt 1-6, Hodges 0-2, Friend 0-1; Cam-Rock (3-9): Daily 0-3, Withey 0-1, Magro 2-2, Cressler 1-3