Aggressive Rams rout Witches Miller makes 7 steals

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BREWER – Brewer coach Mark Savage knew what to expect when the Bangor girls came to town for a Big East basketball matchup Thursday night.

The Rams were riding a five-game win streak courtesy of an improving full-court press. They were coming off an emotional, last-second win against Presque Isle on Saturday.

“We knew what was coming,” Savage said, shaking his head after Bangor’s 57-32 victory. “But they were aggressive. They wanted the game tonight.”

The Rams racked up 20 steals off their swarming 2-2-1 full-court set while running their mark to 6-2. Brewer dropped to 2-8.

Forward Katherine Miller keyed the defense with seven steals.

“The press is one of our best weapons. We got on a roll and got momentum and the steals pumped us up,” Miller said.

Bangor led 11-5 after a hard-fought first period but outscored Brewer 19-8 in the second and never looked back.

Guard Erinne Magee, who led the Rams with 14 points, sparked the second-period rally when she nailed a pair of 3-pointers from the left wing.

Those shots swung the momentum Bangor’s way and drew the Witches out of their zone defense.

“It’s a little easier when they play a zone because that allows me to penetrate the gaps more,” said Magee.

The Rams fared just fine against man-to-man the rest of the way, employing a motion offense with Miller flashing to the low post and forward Marissa McLeod roaming the high post.

McLeod, who finished tied for the team-high in assists (four) with point guard Ashley Tower, was able to distribute the ball nicely from the high post.

But Bangor didn’t need to run a set offense often as their steals led to a number of transition baskets. Magee finished with four steals, while Tower and McLeod had three apiece.

“We played with a lot of intensity and did the things we had to do defensively,” said Bangor coach Tom Tennett.

In the first quarter, the Witches looked as if they might be able to break the press. But turnovers or missed layups on four trips down the floor foiled easy scoring opportunities.

“We had people in good spots, but we just didn’t catch the ball,” Savage said. “Sometimes the difference in beating a press is just a quarter of an inch. We needed to make a little extra effort and step toward the ball.”

Miller had 11 points and nine rebounds while McLeod garnered a game-high 10 rebounds. The Rams outrebounded the Witches 41-20.

Carolyn McAvoy paced Brewer with 14 points on a sparkling 7-for-8 effort from the floor. She went down with a sprained ankle at the end of the third and did not play in the fourth quarter.

Savage said McAvoy will have the ankle X-rayed as a precautionary measure.

Miller said the Rams’ defense has improved steadily during its winning streak. Bangor will face a tough test Saturday against Mount Desert Island, which defeated the Rams earlier in the season.

“We’re going to have to keep working hard and adjust our defense, because the other teams recognize what we’re doing,” Miller said.

The Rams shot 11-for-14 from the foul line. The Witches did not have any free-throw attempts.

Rams 57, Witches 32

Bangor (6-2) Brewer (2-8)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Magee 6 12 0 0 14 Adams 0 2 0

Tower 2 5 3 4 7 Bean 1 7 3

Clarke 2 8 1 2 5 Freeman 3 13 8

McLeod 0 4 0 0 0 Hamm 1 2 2

Miller 4 16 3 3 11 McLaughlin 0 0

McCrum 1 3 1 2 3 Wing 1 7 2

Russell 0 0 0 0 0 McAvoy 7 8 14

Johnson 1 2 3 3 5 Chapman 0 0 0

Hayden 2 5 0 0 4 Alberding 0 0

Michaud 1 1 0 0 2 Michaud 0 0 0

Woodcock 0 2 0 0 0 Eason 0 0 0

Robertson 0 0 0 0 0 Armstrong 1 3

McAllian 3 3 0 0 6

Totals 22 61 11 14 57 14 41 32

Bangor 11 30 41 57

Brewer 5 13 23 32

3-pt. goals: Bangor (2-6): Magee 2-3, Tower 0-1, Johnson 0-1, Woodcock 0-1; Brewer (4-8): Bean 1-2, Freeman 2-4, Armstrong 1-2

Attendance: 300

Preliminary: Bangor 49-22