Hawks upset ‘Jammers; Black Bears win

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BANGOR – The Hermon girls basketball team had probably never seen a team play as intense man-to-man defense as Camden Hills did in Friday night’s Eastern Maine Class B quarterfinal.

The No. 7 Hawks struggled early, but after regaining their composure they righted themselves for a 49-46 upset victory over the No. 2 Windjammers at the Bangor Auditorium.

Senior point guard Jessie Wiggin scored a game-best 16 points to lift the Hawks into a semifinal meeting with No. 3 Maranacook of Readfield Wednesday at 2:05 p.m. The Black Bears topped No. 6 Caribou 40-38 in a Friday afternoon quarterfinal thanks to two Toby Martin free throws with 1.2 seconds left in the game.

Hermon, now 12-8, has won eight of its last nine games. The Windjammers finish their season at 17-2.

Camden Hills had a 12-2 lead in the first quarter but Hermon used an 11-0 run to get back into the game.

“[We thought] if we were able to apply the pressure we were able to apply all year long, and not commit stupid fouls, and rebound well, I thought that would be enough,” Camden Hills coach Jay Carlsen said. “… We were just really slow to reacting. It seemed like tonight we just didn’t get a break.”

Wiggin scored 11 points in the fourth quarter and provided a huge spark after Camden Hills went on a short run at the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth that game the ‘Jammers a 40-35 lead.

“We knew they were really fast so we just had to make good passes and cut hard to the basket,” she said.

Wiggin knocked down a 3-pointer 35 seconds into the fourth to make it 40-38 and, after Shannon Wiggin scored off a pass from Shannon Dobbins, Jessie Wiggin put in a driving basket for a 43-40 edge.

Camden Hills’ Brittany Laite had made a 3-pointer early in the fourth, but the Windjammers didn’t score again until freshman Marianne Croce (16 points) did so with 1:27 to play.

Hermon held just a 44-41 lead after Croce’s basket, but the Hawks had all the momentum, especially because standout sisters Marianne and Charlotte Croce had both fouled out.

Hermon’s Malerie Hall added 10 points and eight rebounds.

In the afternoon game, Martin admitted she was a bit nervous as she stepped to the foul line with 1.2 seconds left in a tied game.

“… I’d rather have it be me than the other team out there,” said the sophomore point guard. “I was really nervous but it was a good situation to be in.”

The situation got a lot better. Martin made the two free throws and scored a game-high 15 points. She was 6-for-7 from the free-throw line.

Maranacook goes to 16-3. The Vikings, who had an eight-point lead in the second quarter, finish at 12-8.

Caribou had a 30-29 lead at the start of the fourth quarter but Maranacook fought back and gained a 38-33 edge.

The Vikings didn’t back down. Lindsay Burlock converted a conventional 3-point play and Leah Drew made two free throws with 1:03 left to tie it.

“I figured if they got a lead they would sit on it … and I wanted to get back in the ball game before it got too late in the game,” Caribou coach Jeff Jose said of his team’s effort down the stretch. “I thought we were there, I really did.”

The Black Bears ran their offense and with little time remaining Martin drove into the lane and was fouled as she launched a jump shot.

“Five seconds left, I had the ball and I really didn’t know what to do with it,” Martin said. “I guess [I was] just going to the basket and shooting it and hoping that they got called for a foul.”

Monica Selander led the Vikings with 11 points, eight rebounds and four blocks. Drew scored 11 and Burlock had 10 points and nine rebounds.

Maranacook center Erica Brennan had 11 rebounds.

BLACK BEARS 40, VIKINGS 38

Caribou (12-8) Maranacook (16-3)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Gahagan 0 0 0 0 0 Martin 4 15 15

Harrigan 0 4 0 0 0 Mace 0 2 0

Bouchard 3 9 0 0 6 Denbow 2 4 4

Vincent 0 1 0 0 0 Pullen 0 1 0

Burlock 4 12 2 2 10 Bardaglio 4 8

Drew 3 10 5 7 11 Edwards 3 9 0 6

Selander 5 14 0 0 11 Bean 1 1 3

Brennan 2 10 0 4

Totals 15 50 7 9 38 Totals 16 50 11 40

Caribou 13 22 30 38

Maranacook 9 19 29 40

3-pt. goals: Caribou (1-7): Selander 1-2, Bouchard 0-2, Harrigan 0-3; Maranacook (2-7): Martin 1-5, Bean 1-1, Edwards 0-1

HAWKS 49, WINDJAMMERS 46

Hermon (11-8) Camden Hills (17-2)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

J. Wiggin 4 12 7 11 16 Wiley 0 4 0

Smith 1 1 1 2 3 Ford 0 3 0

Garland 2 7 1 2 5 Friesland 0 0

Dobbins 4 8 0 0 8 C. Croce 3 14 0 2 8

S. Wiggin 2 7 3 6 7 Neville 3 5 6

Hall 3 7 4 6 10 Laite 2 4 0 6

Macdonald 0 1 0 0 0 McIntyre 4 11 1 2 9

Hart 0 4 1 1

M. Croce 6 8 16

Totals 16 43 16 27 49 Totals 18 54 14 46

Hermon 13 26 35 49

Camden Hills 14 25 36 46

3-pt. goals ? Hermon (1-4): J. Wiggin 1-4; Camden Hills (5-11): Wiley 0-1, C. Croce 2-7, Laite 2-2, M. Croce 1-1