ROCKLAND – The eighth-ranked Rockland Tigers held off the ninth-ranked Maine Central Institute Huskies for a 50-48 E Class B Southeastern division preliminary girls basketball battle Friday night.

Kirby Gushee converted one of two free throws in the final minute to extend the lead to four points and secure the win for the Tigers. She finished with 10 points. Caitlyn Grant led Rockland with 22 points, including eight points in the first quarter and completing 11 of 15 shots from the free throw line. Annie Pennell added 10 points and 11 rebounds in the win.

Jessie Thompson led all scorers with 23 points for MCI. She scored seven points in the second, third, and fourth quarters to help erase a five point deficit. Meredith Susi and Jenn Cummings each netted 10 points for the Huskies.

MCI (6-13) 48

Thompson 7-6-23, Smith 2-1-5, Susi 3-4-10, Cummings 5-0-10, Littlefield, George, Fitts

Rockland (8-11) 50

L. Grant 2-0-5, C. Grant 4-11-22, Marcott 0-1-1, Gushee 3-3-10, Hurley 1-0-2, Pennell 5-0-10, Clark, Felt

3-pt. goals: Thompson 3; L. Grant, C. Grant 3, Gushee

MCI 7 18 32 48

Rockland 11 23 32 50

Class D

Katahdin 64, Wisdom 18

At Sherman Station, Jayme Green and Scarlet McAvoy led the way as the No. 6 Cougars secured a victory in the Class D Northeastern preliminary game.

Green scored 16 points and McAvoy added 14 for No. 6 Katahdin. Rebekah Harris led No. 11 Wisdom with eight points.

Wisdom (3-15) 18

Lizotte 0-1-1, Anderson 2-1-5, Pelletier, Ry. Dyment 1-0-2, Harris 3-1-8, Hebert, Chamberland, Bourgoin 1-0-2, Ro. Dyment.

Katahdin (11-8) 64

Green 8-0-16, Viollette 2-0-4, Stanley 1-0-2, McMoard 3-3-9, Martin, Anderson 1-0-2, K. McAvoy, S. McAvoy 7-0-14, mcCarthy 2-2-6, Qualey 4-0-9, Hill 1-0-2

3-pt. goals: Qualey

Wisdom 4 8 12 18

Katahdin 15 38 54 64

Central Aroostook 64, Easton 26

At Mars Hill, Gabrielle Smith paced the fifth-ranked Panthers with 19 points as Central Aroostook took the prelim win.

Central Aroostook jumped out to an early 20-2 lead and extend that lead to 35-8 heading into halftime. Ashley Caron added 12 points for the Panthers.

Kelley O’Mara led a depleted 12-ranked Easton squad with 12 points. Four Bears came down with influenza before the game, leaving the team with only one player on the bench.

Easton (0-19) 26

O’Mara 3-6-12, Ferris 2-0-5, Lovely 1-0-2, Hickey, Pytlak, Alexander 3-1-7

Central Aroostook (12-7) 64

Smith 9-1-19, Caron 5-1-12, Barton, Collins 3-1-7, Robinson 2-0-4, McCrum 2-0-4, Fletcher 3-3-9, Carvell, Gosselin 1-0-2, Michaud 1-2-4, Degraw 1-1-3

3-pt. goals: Caron

Easton 2 8 14 26

Central Aroostook 20 35 48 64

Fort Fairfield 41, Ashland 33

At Fort Fairfield, Libby Gardner led the No. 8 Tigers with nine points in a preliminary game.

Maranda Butler scored eight points and grabbed 12 rebounds while Dani Searles also had eight points.

Ashland (6-12) 33

Martin 3-2-8, Caron 1-0-2, Smith 2-2-6, Chamberlin 1-0-2, Ashlee Peters 2-5-9, Sherman 3-0-6, Muffler, Campbell, Spooner, Clark, Carney, Gallant

Fort Fairfield (10-9) 41

Gardner 4-0-9, S. Butler 3-1-8, K. Searles 2-0-4, Churchill 3-0-6, Langworthy 2-0-4, D. Searles 4-0-8

3-pt. goals: Gardner, Butler

Ashland 6 17 26 33

Fort Fairfield 9 20 31 41

Washburn 47, Houlton Chr. 31

Houlton Christian (2-12) 31

Mer. Jago, Meg. Jago 0-2-2, A. Jago, S. Jago 3-0-7, Wallace 2-1-5, Lincoln, Moakler 5-1-11

Washburn 11-8) 47

C. McLaughlin 0-1-1, N. McLaughlin 3-1-10, L. Maynard 5-2-13, Blakney 6-0-14, Campbell 2-1-5, Carter, Abar, Howe 0-2-2, C. Maynard, Snyder, McIntosh 1-0-2, Wright

3-pt. goals: S. Jago; n. McLaughlin 3, Maynard, Blakney

Houlton Christian 9 14 22 31

Washburn 3 19 33 47

Vinalhaven 54, Forest Hills 42

At Vinalhaven, Chelsea Osgood led all scorers with 19 points, including 8-12 from the free throw line as the Vikings overcame a first half deficit to take Western Maine Class D prelim victory.

Kim Smith recorded a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds for eighth ranked Vinalhaven. Crystal Levesque led ninth ranked Forest Hills with 15 points. Ashley Krukowski added nine points for the Tigers and Jamie Keiper netted 12 points.

Forest Hills (7-12) 42

Levesque 5-2-15, Krukowski 3-2-9, J. Turner 3-0-6, Keiper 6-0-12, Leach, S. Turner, Forge, Newman

Vinalhaven (8-11) 54

Jones 2-0-4, Walker 4-0-8, Rasmussen 1-0-2, McCarthy 0-2-2, C. Osgood 5-8-19, Carlton, B. Osgood 2-2-6, Dickey, Smith 5-0-10, Pratt

3-pt. goals: Levesque 3, Krukowski; C. Osgood

Forest Hills 12 21 29 42

Vinalhaven 11 20 32 54

Islesboro 69, Kents Hill 36

At Islesboro, Cassi Gray poured in 31 points and pulled down 30 rebounds to lead No. 7 Islesboro to victory over No. 10 Kents Hill in a Class D northwestern prelim.

Nikki Pisciotta added 10 points while Mary Czen Kusch chipped in with nine points and nine rebounds.

Brianne Linsky scored 19 points for Kents Hill while Amy Wallick added 13.

Kents Hill 36

Wallick 4-5-13, Linsky 8-1-19, Palamaleni 0-2-2, Leighton 1-0-2, Swaner, Niccols, Andrews, Washington, Bird, Clarke

Islesboro 69

Hauprich 1-0-2, Delaney 3-0-6, Johnston 1-2-4, Kusch 3-3-9, Pisciotta 5-0-10, Gray 14-3-31, Love 2-3-7

3-pt. goals: Linsky 2

Kents Hill 7 17 26 36

Islesboro 19 33 52 69

Boys Basketball

Hampden 45, Brewer 40

At Brewer, Justin DiFrederico scored 17 points to lead Hampden.

Nick Pelotte contributed with 10 points for the Broncos.

Lon Drillen was top scorer for Brewer with 14 points while John Bell added 11.

Hampden 45

Larson 2-0-5, DiFrederico 7-2-17, Keller 4-0-8, Dionne 1-1-3, Pelotte 4-2-10, Thomas 1-0-2, Woodard, Shaw, Winery, Bacon

Brewer (10-5) 40

Seth Bernier 0-1-1, Sargent 3-0-7, Bouzan-Kaloustian 1-0-3, J. Bell 4-1-11, I. Bell 1-0-2, Drillen 7-0-14, Breindel 1-0-2, Doucette, King

3-pt. goals: DiFrederico, Larson; J. Bell 2, Bouzan-Kaloustian, Sargent

Hampden 15 24 35 45

Brewer 5 10 25 40

Hockey

Stearns 8, Messalonskee 0

At Millar Arena in Houlton, Matt Michaud led the Minutemen to victory with five goals and two assists.

Michaud scored two power-play goals, as well as two shorthanded goals. Friday night’s totals give Michaud 13 shorthanded goals and 35 total goals over 16 games this season.

Ryan Bouchard, Drew Somers, and Tyler Pelkey also scored for Stearns. Somers and Aaron Doody each contributed two assists in the win.

Nick Simon stopped 23 shots for 8-8 Stearns. The shutout was first of the junior’s high school career. Ben Conti stopped 39 shots for 2-13 Messalonskee.