BANGOR – Despite having three senior starters with nagging injuries, the Bangor girls basketball team still found a way to win Friday night against Brewer.

Starting point guard Jlynn Frazier is still dealing with an injured knee. Forward Alison Smith hurt her ankle Tuesday. Forward Terra Curtis has an injured finger that limited her fine shooting touch.

But Curtis still pulled down rebounds against the Witches. Frazier ran the offense effectively. As for Smith, she was on fire.

The 5-foot-9 forward scored 31 points – pounded in 31 points, really, as she did most of her scoring inside and off some of her 10 rebounds – to lead Bangor to a 54-47 victory over Big East Conference rival Brewer at Red Barry Gymnasium Friday night.

The Rams (7-1) posted their seventh win and fourth in a row since a Dec. 30 loss to Nokomis of Newport. The Witches fall to 3-5.

After scoring five points on 2-for-7 shooting in the first quarter, Smith made 12 of her 16 field-goal attempts the rest of the way.

Smith, who originally sprained the ankle in a summer camp, scored eight points in a 21/2-minute spurt in the third quarter. She also grabbed 10 rebounds.

“[The opportunity to score] was just there, I guess,” Smith said. “Usually those shots go in for [Curtis and Frazier], but it was there for me.”

The Rams had an 11-point lead at halftime but the Witches cut into the advantage with a 7-2 run to open the third quarter, powered by two Jenny Higgins scores (a 3-pointer and basket off a steal).

Bangor held off Brewer to work the lead back up to 10 points by the end of the third, but the Witches opened the fourth quarter with a rally.

Maggie Sutherland scored off a pass from Rachel Wing to open the period. Carolyn McAvoy put in a basket with an assist from Higgins. McAvoy hit a free throw, and suddenly the score was 41-36 with 6:10 left in the game.

Bangor didn’t score in the quarter until Smith got inside for a basket with 5:44 left.

Later in the fourth period Higgins drained a 3-pointer from the left wing and hit another jumper with her foot on the line with 1:33 left, but Brewer fouls and Bangor’s spread offense in the final minute sealed it for the Rams.

Brewer coach Tim Thornton was pleased with what he saw from his sophomore-laden team. Higgins and Sutherland are the lone seniors.

“We’ve just started learning how to play man-to-man defense the way we need to against teams like Bangor and the kids have finally made a mental image of what they want,” he said.

Curtis finished with five points, and chipped in with eight rebounds for Bangor. Frazier added eight points.

Higgins led Brewer with 21 points, including 14 in the second half, and contributed eight rebounds. McAvoy finished with 14 points and nine rebounds.

At 5-foot-8, Higgins is the Witches’ tallest player, and Bangor had a huge height advantage with Smith and the 6-foot Curtis. Still, the Witches were able to find room to rebound and score underneath.

Higgins did well from long-range, hitting three 3-pointers and her long 2-pointer.

“We look for our defense to give a boost to our offense so we were trying to steal the ball a lot,” Frazier said. “Sometimes we’ll get caught and they’ll get an open shot every once in a while.”

Rams 54, Witches 47

Brewer (3-5) Bangor (7-1)

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

Bean 2 10 0 0 4 Prudente 0 0 0

A. Freeman 1 5 0 0 2 Tower 0 3 0

Wing 0 2 0 0 0 Achorn 0 0 0 0

McAvoy 5 15 4 6 14 Miller 1 4 1 3

Hamm 0 0 0 0 0 Frazier 4 8 0 8

Sutherland 2 4 2 2 6 Curtis 1 13 5

Higgins 9 20 0 1 21 Capehart 0 1 0

Smith 14 23 2 31

Michaud 1 5 1 3

Magee 2 5 0 4

Warner 0 1 0 0

Totals 19 56 6 9 47 Totals 23 63 7 15 54

Brewer 7 15 31 47

Bangor 12 26 41 54

3-pt. goals: Brewer (3-12): Higgins 3-5, Bean 0-5, A. Freeman 0-1, Wing 0-1; Bangor (1-6): Smith 1-2, Curtis 0-4

Attendance: 300 (est.)

Preliminary: Bangor JVs 60-25