Balance is key in Lynx win Mattanawcook stops Penquis

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BANGOR – Mattanawcook Academy girls basketball coach Terri Thornton couldn’t have asked for a more well-rounded effort from her No. 3 Lynx in Friday afternoon’s Eastern Maine Class C semifinal against Penquis.

MA’s big guns all came through on offense, while the Lynx controlled the boards and shut down Penquis’ main scoring threat as they knocked off the No. 2 Patriots of Milo at the Bangor Auditorium 49-34.

The Lynx, now 16-4, will play the winner of Friday night’s semifinal between Stearns of Millinocket and Calais in the Class C championship game Saturday at 7:05 p.m.

It may be the first time a Mattanawcook girls basketball team has played in an Eastern Maine final.

No one Lynx player had a monster quarter; rather, MA spread its offense around. Cassie Carver and Brandi Rideout worked to get short and mid-range jumpers or drives to the hoop, and the 5-foot-10 Desirae Haines worked well in the post.

Carver led the Lynx with 15 points, Haines had 13 and Rideout added 12.

“We were confident coming into the game,” Carver said. “We just knew we’d have to rebound and play tough defense and we’d be fine.”

Mattanawcook managed to do both of those things: MA outrebounded Penquis 44-35 and held the Patriots to 22 points through three quarters.

Two additional players were key for Mattanawcook.

. Senior Danielle Kyes played superb defense on Megan Russell, the Patriots’ main weapon. Russell finished with 14 points but was never able to get into a groove.

“She’s just a tremendous defensive player,” MA’s Thornton said. “She’s not in there for any offense at all. She’s in there for defense. Tonight she was ready. I saw it when she stepped on the court.”

Penquis coach Wally Russell, who is Megan Russell’s father, said with two girls who weren’t feeling well there may have been extra pressure on the junior guard.

“We kind of struggled at different points,” Wally Russell said. “April [Allen] and [Lindsay Hamlin] didn’t feel well so that put more scoring on Megan.”

. Mattanawcook sophomore Katie Head, who came off the bench in the first quarter, worked with Haines to keep the Patriots from going inside. Head finished with 11 rebounds and Haines had eight.

Head entered the game with 2:19 left in the first quarter and a 9-9 tie. Less than a minute later Carver made a jumper in the lane to break the stalemate and Haines hit a layup off an inbounds pass from Kyes at the end of the period.

“Kate was just huge on the boards,” Thornton said. “She did a great job.”

The Lynx went on a 9-0 run to start the second quarter and held Penquis to two baskets with Head in for most of the period.

Lynx 49, Patriots 34

Mattanawcook (16-4) Penquis girls (17-3)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Kyes 0 3 0 1 0 Russell 6 21 0 14

Rideout 2 11 7 8 12 L. Hamlin 0 0

Carver 6 14 3 6 15 L. Gerrish 1 4

Shorey 0 0 0 0 0 Allen 2 12 6

Gulesian 0 1 0 0 0 B. Hamlin 0 0

Kenney 0 0 0 0 0 Morrill 0 0 0

Woodman 0 0 1 2 1 S. Gerrish 0 0

Slike 0 1 0 0 0 Madden 0 0 0

Haines 5 9 3 4 13 Cail 4 9 8

Vance 0 1 2 2 2 Robinson 0 0

Head 3 3 0 2 6 J. Hamlin 1 4 2

Dolley 0 0 0 0

Totals 16 43 16 25 49 14 59 10 34

Mattanawcook 13 25 36 49

Penquis 9 13 22 34

3-pt. goals: Mattanawcook (1-3): Rideout 1-2, Carver 0-1; Penquis (2-5): Russell 2-4, L. Hamlin 0-1