BANGOR – Mount Desert Island’s Bracey Barker and Camden Hills’ Lauren Withey each turned in pivotal second-half performances to carry their teams to quarterfinal victories in the Eastern Maine Class B schoolgirl basketball tourney Saturday at the Bangor Auditorium.
Barker, a 5-foot-11 sophomore guard, scored 10 of her 17 points in the fourth quarter, including two which secured the win with 18 seconds left, as the No. 5 Trojans edged the No. 4 Orono Red Riots 55-50. They split during the regular season.
Withey, a 6-0 junior forward, scored 16 of her 28 points in the second half, including 12 of her team’s 14 in the third quarter, to lead the No. 1 Windjammers to a 58-50 victory over No. 9 Maine Central Institute of Pittsfield. It was Camden Hills’ third win over MCI this season.
Withey’s clutch play helped the ‘Jammers overcome a 31-point effort from Amanda Leavitt, MCI’s senior point guard who set an Eastern Maine Class B tourney record with six 3-pointers, one that traveled three-quarters of the court to end the first quarter.
Camden Hills, the defending EM champ, will battle MDI in a Wednesday semifinal at 7:05 p.m.
In the first game, Barker’s baseline drive and 10-foot jumper gave MDI a 52-50 lead with 44 seconds left in the game.
“My dad [coach Burt Barker] was telling me to take the ball to the hoop because I had just made one,” Barker said.
She had the ball in her hands again with 18 seconds left when she went to the line and sank two free throws to secure MDI’s victory.
“I just wanted to take my time, concentrate and not listen to anyone,” said Barker, who had hit only two of five free throws in the fourth before her final two.
Barker was the go-to player for the Trojans in the fourth quarter as she scored 10 of their 17 points. Barker had a solid all-around game as she also grabbed eight rebounds and notched six assists.
Her perimeter play was complemented by some strong inside work by 6-1 senior center Melissa Gott, who scored a team-high 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
The hard-working Gott scored 10 points in the first half and added six in the third quarter to help MDI maintain a one-point lead and counter the scoring of Orono senior guard Sarah Marquez.
Marquez, who showed off some fine driving moves to the basket as well as a pull-up jumper, sparked Orono with 22 points. She scored 11 of those in the third quarter as the Red Riots battled from a 30-20 halftime deficit and cut MDI’s lead to 38-37 at the end of the quarter.
Jessica Wagner added 15 points and 13 rebounds for Orono and Shelley Gott netted 10 for MDI.
In the second game, Withey started the third quarter with two straight 3-pointers. She then scored off an offensive rebound, powered up a basket in traffic, and added a layup after a Lucy Sommo basket to cap a 14-9 surge that gave the ‘Jammers a lead they would not relinquish.
After the ‘Jammers struggled offensively in the second quarter, Withey started to look more at the hoop in the third.
“I realized we had to get things moving on offense,” she said. “At the end of the first half, we were standing around a little bit, so I wanted to get some movement and create some things.”
Withey featured a strong inside and perimeter game as she was able to take the ball to the basket and also nailed two 3-pointers.
“When Withey hit those two 3-pointers to start the second half, that really hurt us,” MCI coach Frank McGrady said. “It’s hard to play matchup zone against a player who does that.”
Withey also grabbed 18 rebounds while Toni-Lynn Robbins added some strong inside play with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Leavitt’s ability to pull up off the dribble and penetrate to the basket aided her record-setting effort as she nailed 6 of 13 3-poiners. Jessi Thompson chipped in with 11 points.
Trojans 55, Red Riots 50
MDI girls (17-3) Orono (13-6)
Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP
Chernosky 2 5 1 2 5 Breton 3 8 6
Stanley 0 0 0 1 0 See 0 1 0
Horton 2 6 0 2 5 Dupere 1 1 2
S. Gott 4 9 0 1 10 Reed 0 1 0
Barker 6 9 4 7 17 Marquez 9 21 22
Kane 0 1 0 0 0 Nichols 2 5 0 4
M. Gott 7 13 4 4 18 Wagner 7 10 15
Gray 0 2 1 1
Totals 21 43 9 17 55 22 49 50
Mount Desert Island 18 30 38 55
Orono 14 20 37 50
3-pt. goals: MDI (4-7): Horton 1-3, S. Gott 2-3, Barker 1-1; Orono (2-7): Breton 0-1, Marquez 2-6
Windjammers 58, Huskies 50
Maine Central Inst. (10-10) 50 Camden Hills girls (15-4) 58
Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP
Derosby 0 0 0 0 0 Dailey 0 1 3
Lancaster 0 0 0 0 0 Russo 2 5 8
Thompson 5 9 1 5 11 Rokes 0 0 0
Leavitt 9 21 7 10 31 Sommo 1 1 3
George 1 4 0 0 2 Robbins 4 5 10
Luce 2 5 0 0 4 Wood 0 2 0 0
Smith 0 1 1 2 1 Croce 1 5 5
Susi 0 4 1 2 1 Withey 9 19 8 13 28
Cummings 0 4 0 0 0 Laite 0 0 0
Carleton 0 0 0
McIntyre 0 0 0
Goodale 0 0 1 1
Hoffman 0 3 0 0
Orhon 0 0 0 0
Totals 17 48 10 19 50 17 41 20 36 58
MCI 15 33 42 50
Camden Hills 18 32 46 58
3-pt. goals: MCI (6-15): Thompson 0-1, Leavitt 6-13, Luce 0-1; Camden Hills (4-12): Russo 1-3, Wood 0-1, Croce 1-5, Withey 2-3
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