Gott sisters, Barker lift MDI by Ponies in early showdown

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DOVER-FOXCROFT – Despite the fact that Saturday was just the second day of the high school basketball season, Eastern Maine coaches were already looking to the Foxcroft Academy-Mount Desert Island girls matchup for an indication of which teams will rise in Class B.

Expectations are high for both squads this season – the Trojans start two talented sophomores in Shelley Gott and Bracey Barker and dominating senior forward-center Melissa Gott, Shelley’s sister.

The Ponies return eight seniors.

Knowing the importance of the early-season game, MDI took advantage of some early Foxcroft nerves, soared out to an eight-point lead, and came away with a 55-41 victory.

The 6-foot-1 Melissa Gott left the game in the fourth quarter when she suffered an ankle injury (MDI coach Burt Barker said her status for Tuesday’s game against Orono is uncertain).

But Gott had already done her part, finishing with 25 points, 12 rebounds and five steals.

“We really came out ready to play,” she said. “We wanted this game bad. People have really high expectations for us this year and we just want to have fun and play the best we can.”

The Trojans (1-0) opened the game with an 8-0 run thanks to a combined eight points from the Gotts. Melissa went 5-for-5 from the floor in the first quarter

With Foxcroft down 8-0, Ponies’ center Leslie Glover hit two baskets off passes from Dana Frasz and Amy Kelley to make it 8-4, but Shelley Gott hit a free throw and a layup and Melissa Gott added a basket for a 13-4 Trojans lead.

Foxcroft outscored MDI 12-10 in the second quarter but never got within eight points of the Trojans for the rest of the game.

“We just played real nervous,” Foxcroft coach David Carey said. “We’re not used to the hype. A lot of coaches were saying how big of a game this was, with two good teams, and I thought we could have handled it better. But that’s OK. It’s a learning experience.”

Point guard Bracey Barker, who is Burt Barker’s daughter, handled the ball well against Foxcroft’s press and finished with 11 points and four steals). Shelley Gott had 14 points and eight rebounds.

The Ponies tried get back into the game by going to one of their strengths – Holli Nichols’ 3-point shooting skills. The senior point guard made 39 long-range shots last year, but she went 1-for-8 from the arc against the Trojans.

“Our outside shooting was very poor. I don’t foresee it being like that very often,” Carey said. “[Nichols] couldn’t buy a 3 today and she had some very good looks. Free throws, too. I thought we were very poor from the line.”

FA made seven of its 14 free-throw attempts.

The Ponies’ struggles from the perimeter made all the difference for the Trojans.

“Foxcroft is so athletic. I don’t think there’s anybody, anywhere more athletic than they are,” Burt Barker said. “They didn’t shoot well today and they would have beat us if they shot well.”

Frasz led Foxcroft with 13 points and four steals. Kelley and Glover each contributed 10 points and Kelley had eight rebounds.

Both teams played a zone defense with Foxcroft trying a matchup scheme to stop Melissa Gott. But Shelley Gott and Bracey Barker both hit their jump shots and even Melissa Gott got in on the act, hitting two mid-range jumpers in the second half.

“A lot of teams collapse inside so we have to have the outside shot,” Melissa Gott said.

Trojans 55, Ponies 41

MDI (1-0) Foxcroft (0-1)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG F AF TP

Chernosky 0 0 0 0 0 Nichols 2 14 1 2 6

Osier 0 2 0 0 0 Cartwright 0 2 0 0 0

Stanley 1 5 3 4 5 Snow 0 0 0 0 0

Horton 0 1 0 1 0 Frasz 6 9 0 1 13

S. Gott 6 16 2 5 14 Labree 0 0 0 0 0

Barker 3 7 3 3 11 Merrill 0 2 0 0 0

Baldwin 0 1 0 0 0 Snow 0 0 0 0 0

M. Gott 12 17 1 1 25 Kelley 3 12 4 6 10

Champeon 0 0 2 2 2

Glover 5 8 0 3 10

Dow 0 1 0 0 0

Totals 22 49 9 14 55 Totals 16 48 7 14 41

Mount Desert Island 18 28 39 55

Foxcroft Academy 8 20 28 41

3-pt. goals: MDI (2-6): Barker 2-4, Osier 0-1, S. Gott 0-1; Foxcroft (2-10): Nichols 1-8, Frasz 1-1, Cartwright 0-1

Attendance: 200 (est.)

JV: MDI 38-28