BUCKSPORT – The Caribou girls basketball team needed just one good quarter to close out a matchup against Bucksport Saturday.

It’s a good thing the Vikings got that early, because the Golden Bucks were intent on coming back late — including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer.

Caribou got a game-high 14 points from senior Leah Drew and a well-rounded offensive effort from the rest of the team as the Vikings held off Bucksport 39-30 at Ralph J. Jewett Gymnasium.

It was the season-opener for both teams, which puts Caribou at 1-0 and Bucksport at 0-1.

The Vikings used a variety of weapons to take an 18-6 lead after the first quarter. During a 10-0 run in the period, Amy Bouchard drove inside for a basket, 5-foot-11 center Monica Selander put back a rebound, Bouchard hit a jumper, and Lauren Harrigan made her first 3-pointer of the quarter.

“We moved the ball around well, we passed really well, most of us hit our shots,” Drew said with a sheepish smile, recalling her 2-for-14 first half. “We really worked well together out there.”

Meanwhile, Caribou played a tough man-to-man half-court defense for much of the first half, with point guard Amy Bouchard doing a fine job of keeping heady Bucksport guard

Jessie Taylor to only four field goal attempts in the first half.

“We stopped them from penetrating and they really didn’t have anyone shooting real well from outside there in the beginning,” Vikings coach Jeff Jose said. “We were able to run the floor and get some easy baskets.”

Makayla Gahagan came off the bench to add seven points for the Vikings, and three other Caribou players had six points. Selander was one of those players, and she contributed 10 rebounds and three blocks as well. Drew tallied nine rebounds.

The Bucks mustered only eight first-half points but outscored Caribou 15-2 in the fourth quarter. Senior Taylor scored all of her team-high 13 points in the final two quarters and was 3-for-6 from 3-point range. She drained a 3-pointer at the final buzzer that seemed to take some of the sting out of the final result.

The Golden Bucks switched from man defense to different zones, including a 2-3 and a 2-1-2, and that helped stop the Vikes from getting inside for easy layups and offensive rebounds.

“We seemed to limit them from that point to one shot,” Harvey said. “In the first half we seemed to be watching the ball instead of boxing out. Drew got a ton of second and third shots.”

Alice Andrews led Bucksport with nine rebounds.

Caribou was without several players who are ineligible for the first few games of the season.

VIKINGS 39, GOLDEN BUCKS 30

Caribou (1-0) Bucksport (0-1)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Dubois 0 0 0 0 0 Gourley 0 0 0

Gahagan 3 7 0 0 7 Andrews 2 13 4

Harrigan 2 7 0 0 6 Fitzpatrick 3 6

Bouchard 3 9 0 2 6 Adams 0 1 0

Vincent 0 2 0 0 0 Taylor 5 13 13

Drew 5 19 4 8 14 Allen 3 8 0 6

Willey 0 1 0 0 0 Murauckas 0 1

Selander 3 9 0 0 6

Cousins 0 0 0 0 0

Collins 0 0 0 0 0

Plourde 0 0 0 0 0

Totals 16 54 4 10 39 Totals 13 42 30

Caribou 18 25 37 39

Bucksport 6 8 15 30

3-pt. goals: Caribou (3-9): Harrigan 2-6, Gahagan 1-1, Bouchard 0-1, Drew 0-1; Bucksport (3-13): Taylor 3-6, Andrews 0-7

Attendance: 200 (est.)

Preliminary: Caribou JVs 38-27