Marble helps Dragons top WA Guard makes 1st start after injury

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EAST MACHIAS – Without the benefit of its usual practice schedule, the Woodland girls basketball team looked pretty ordinary early in a Friday night matchup against Washington Academy. The defending state Class D champion Dragons were forcing their trademark turnovers, but they were actually committing them, too.

But Woodland shaped up over the next two quarters and so did senior guard Ashley Marble, who scored all 20 of her points in those periods in her first start back from a wrist injury, as the Dragons cruised to a 69-19 victory over the Raiders at Gardner Gymnasium.

Marble was playing with a brace and tape on her left (non-shooting) wrist. She had played in the closing minutes of a game last week but had yet to start in about a month.

She showed some rust early, as did the Dragons (10-2) in playing with her. Woodland had two practices cancelled this week because of midterms and bad weather and hadn’t had much time to get used to the new lineup.

“It was different with Ashley,” said Kaitlyn Smith, who contributed 11 points. “It was a change for us.”

That was evident in the first quarter. Washington Academy (6-8) started out with a 3-0 lead on an Andrea Govoni free throw and a Krystle Gaddis layup. Woodland scored two free throws, but the Raiders held on to the lead until the 3:32 mark thanks to Dragon fouls, turnovers and shots that wouldn’t fall. Woodland was 3-for-12 from the floor in the first quarter and turned the ball over seven times.

“My shooting was off but finally they started to fall,” Marble said. “It was the same way for the team. But we came out fired up in the third quarter. … At halftime [coach Arnie Clark] told us we really had to bear down and play defense. That motivated us.”

Over the course of the second and third quarters the Dragons forced 17 Raider turnovers. Smith had seven of her 11 points over the two periods.

“They play as good a three-quarter [press] as you’ll see,” WA coach Tony Maker said. “They rotate very well.”

Ten of Woodland’s 12 players scored at least two points each. Senior forward Julia Knights, who has been one of the Dragons’ top players over the past two years, finished with nine points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore point guard Kaitlyn Leeman added seven points.

If there was a game to work out some kinks, Friday might have been it. The Dragons travel to Lee Academy Saturday to face the Pandas, who dealt Woodland one of its two losses this season.

“We’re ready for tomorrow,” Smith said.

WA looked good early with junior point guard Andrea Govoni helping to break Woodland’s press. But Govoni, who had sprained an ankle in a contest Wednesday against Narraguagus of Harrington, couldn’t put too much stress on the ankle.

“I didn’t know how much Andrea could play and I knew early on it wasn’t feeling good,” Maker said. “Andrea is the leader out there and without her there everything is downhill. Woodland has Marble back and she’s the leader for them.”

Junior Stef Almendinger led the Raiders with six points, which came on two 3-pointers.

DRAGONS 69, RAIDERS 19

Woodland (10-2) Washington Acad. (6-8)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Marble 7 11 4 5 20 Albee 0 0 0

Brown 1 2 0 0 2 A. Govoni 0 1

Snowman 0 1 0 0 0 Simmon 0 0 0

Leeman 2 6 3 6 7 Holmes 0 2 0

Smith 5 8 1 1 11 Mawhinney 1 2

Newman 0 5 0 3 0 Porter 0 1 2

Lord 3 5 0 0 6 Gaddis 2 6 0 4

Troiani 1 5 1 2 3 Livingstone 0 0

V. Knights 1 2 0 0 2 Almendinger 2 12 0 0 6

J. Knights 3 9 3 4 9 Stauffer 0 0

Seavey 3 8 0 0 6 L. Govoni 0 0

Vose 1 3 1 2 3 Smith 0 2 0 0

Farren 1 2 0 2

Ashby 1 3 0 2

Totals 27 65 13 23 69 Totals 7 44 15 19

Woodland 10 34 60 69

Washington Acad. 3 5 7 19

3-pt. goals: Woodland (2-5): Marble 2-3, Leeman 0-1, Seavey 0-1; Washington Acad. (2-7): Almendinger 2-5, Mawhinney 0-2

Attendance: 250 (est.)

Preliminary: Woodland JV 36-27