Bangor uses strong start to capture opener

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BANGOR – The Old Town and Bangor girls basketball teams both got the early season tests they were hoping for as the two squads met Saturday in a mutual Class A season opener.

There were good periods and shaky stretches for both teams, but the Rams maintained enough of a cushion to escape an Indian rally and post a 54-49 Big East Conference victory at Red Barry Gym.

Bangor had the early edge and seemed to be in control in the first quarter. But Old Town wouldn’t go away, putting a scare into the hosts late.

The Rams rolled out to an 18-4 lead at the end of the first quarter and held the Indians to two points in the first 61/2 minutes of the game.

Bangor increased its lead to 25-9 later in the second period, but late turnovers against Old Town’s pressing defense turned things around.

Katie Bergeron, who finished with a game-high 15 points, drained a 3-pointer with 3:22 left in the first half, then scored off a steal, and Darcy Spencer put back an offensive rebound. The seven unanswered points in less than 40 seconds cut Bangor’s lead to nine points.

“I think it was more nerves than anything else,” Bangor guard Laura Clarke said. “We can handle the press, we proved ourselves in the first quarter. But we weren’t in position and I think we were anxious to get the ball in and that messed us up a bit.”

Old Town’s Ron Weatherbee, coaching in his first game with the Indians, said sticking with the defense was key as his team struggled in the first quarter during which Old Town took just six shots from the floor.

“Early on the press was no problem for them, but by staying in it I think we wore them down,” he said. “Overall I thought we played well after the first period.”

Bangor, which had opened up the game in man defense, played its usual 1-3-1 zone in the second half.

“It did slow us down as far as our transition game,” Weatherbee said. “We like to get out and try to push the ball up the floor but they were set back in their zone so we never seemed to beat them up the floor.”

The Rams stretched out the lead to 52-35 in the fourth, but the Indians stormed back again. They went inside to Kristi Mitchell for two baskets and got two free throws from Leona Mitchell, and after Erin Porter answered for Bangor with a basket off a steal, Spencer made a free throw, Leona Mitchell scored off a rebound and Bergeron drove inside to make it 54-46.

Porter scored six of her 11 points in the fourth quarter.

She drew the fifth foul on Bergeron to force her from the game about five seconds after the Old Town sophomore hit a 3-pointer to cut Bangor’s lead to five. The foul also put the Rams into the double bonus. Porter missed both free throws with 21.3 seconds left, but rebounded her second miss. She put up a shot which didn’t go but took more time off the clock.

Bangor had a big size advantage with led to an edge in rebounding. Alyssa Ogden and Serena Dubois each grabbed eight rebounds to lead Bangor.

“We are stronger inside and we want to [go inside],” Ogden said. “We want to push ourselves through the season, get our inside game going.”

Leona Mitchell had nine boards. The Mitchell sisters each scored 10 points.

RAMS 54, INDIANS 49

Old Town (0-1) Bangor (1-0)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

K. Bergeron 6 13 1 4 15 Ogden 3 7 8

Marquis 0 2 1 2 1 Angst 2 17 6

Gomm 1 4 0 0 2 Porter 5 9 1 11

Jones 0 2 0 2 0 Clarke 5 10 11

Spencer 2 7 1 4 5 McAllian 0 0

K. Mitchell 3 7 4 4 10 Weymouth 2 8

L. Mitchell 3 9 4 4 10 Webb 1 3 2

Kennedy 1 3 4 6 6 Bradford 0 0

Curtis 1 5 0 2

Dubois 2 6 2 6

Sullivan 0 0 0

Totals 16 47 15 26 49 21 54 20 54

Old Town 4 18 31 49

Bangor 18 27 42 54

3-pt. goals ? Old Town (2-10): K. Bergeron 2-4, Kennedy 0-1, Spencer 0-2, Gomm 0-3; Bangor (4-12): Angst 2-4, Weymouth 2-4, Porter 0-1, Webb 0-1, Clarke 0-2

Attendance: 200 (est.)

JV: Bangor 79-53