ELLSWORTH – With two tall, experienced, athletic players patrolling the post, it’s hard for many opposing teams to get the ball inside against the Caribou girls basketball squad – even when you have a go-to forward as strong as Ellsworth’s Ashley Oleson.

Six-foot center Monica Selander and 5-11 forward Lindsay Burlock combined for 27 points and 18 rebounds as the Vikings controlled the inside game and emerged with a 53-44 victory over Ellsworth on Friday night.

It was a battle of early undefeated teams as both got their first real test of the season. The Vikings move to 5-0 with what could prove to be a point-worthy win. The Eagles fall to 3-1.

Caribou had a 31-20 lead at halftime thanks to the strong inside game complemented by some midrange jumpers and a 3-2 zone defense. Oleson, a 5-10 junior, took only two field-goal attempts in each of their first two quarters and had four points at the break.

“We had to shut [Oleson] down, keep going inside and get fouls on her, pound the inside so they kick it back out and then cover the outside,” Selander said.

Oleson finished with 10 points and seven rebounds.

The Vikings went inside early and often to gain a lead and got into a rhythm midway through the first quarter. They turned a three-point lead into a nine-point edge by the start of the second period.

Caribou was up 8-5 when Burlock (13 points) scored on a Makayla Gahagan pass and Amy Bouchard drove inside for a layup. After Ellsworth’s Monique Boutaugh scored a fast-break hoop, Bouchard drained a 3-pointer from the left side.

Oleson finally scored off an offensive rebound, but Selander (14 points) completed a three-point play and with less than five seconds left in the quarter Selander scored off a pass from Bouchard.

“[Selander and Burlock] are the focal point of our offense,” Caribou coach Bill Schofield said. “We give them the ball and let them make decisions.”

Limiting the Eagles’ inside touches early proved to be key as Ellsworth tried to rally by way of the 3-point line in the fourth quarter.

Ellsworth guard Laura Archer, who finished with a game-high 16 points, was 3-for-4 from behind the arc in the final period and helped keep the Eagles in the game.

But it was a little too late for Ellsworth coach Dana Smith.

“We still have to establish Ashley for that to happen,” he said. “I think we forced some of those shots a little. We want them to shoot, but we want to take the ball down low. … We fought back gamely. We just got off to a bad start. They got a lot of second-chance baskets to kind of put us in a hole.”

Senior point guard Bouchard (10 points) left the game in the fourth quarter with a twisted ankle. Michelle Ouellette filled in for her, helping the Vikings maintain their poise as Archer heated up from the outside.

“We needed to get out on the 3-point shooters more because they were really making their shots,” Burlock said.

The Eagles did not get any chances at the free-throw line in the game.

VIKINGS 53, EAGLES 44

Caribou (5-0) Ellsworth (3-1)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Dubois 0 0 0 0 0 Dalrymple 0 0

Gahagan 2 4 2 5 6 Boutaugh 4 11 0 0 10

Harrigan 3 7 0 0 8 Briggs 3 5 6

Ouellette 1 1 0 0 2 Johnston 0 0

Bouchard 4 9 0 0 10 Archer 6 19 16

Dube 0 0 0 0 0 Fortier 0 1 0 0

Burlock 5 10 3 4 13 Savage 1 1 2

Selander 5 10 4 5 14 Jones 0 0 0

Morrell 0 0 0 0 0 McEachern 0 0

Oleson 5 8 0 10

Totals 20 41 9 14 53 Totals 19 49 44

Caribou 20 31 41 53

Ellsworth 11 20 28 44

3-pt. goals ? Caribou (4-10): Harrigan 2-4, Bouchard 2-5, Gahagan 0-1; Ellsworth (6-17): Archer 4-10, Boutaugh 2-6, Dalrymple 0-1

Attendance: 150 (est.)

JV: Ellsworth 39-26