BANGOR – The John Bapst girls basketball team opened the Eastern Maine Class A season in a big way – with a 43-31 victory over Big East Conference rival Hampden Friday night at the Bangor Auditorium.

John Bapst coach Mike Webb, who coached the Hampden girls for two seasons, said it’s been at least four years and possibly as many as 10, since a Bapst squad beat Hampden.

For players like Crusaders senior Katie Andrle, a four-year varsity team member, it was the memorable way to kick off the season.

“It’s amazing. I’ve waited four years for this,” she said. “Hampden’s always a really strong program and to beat them is really awesome. It’s definitely a big step for John Bapst girls basketball.”

For Webb, the most encouraging sign of the win was his team’s defensive effort. The Crusaders played straight man-to-man but with special attention paid to Hampden standouts Tanna Ross and Jill Beal.

Ashley Freeman guarded Ross and Andrle was on Beal.

“It was a team effort, but [Freeman and Andrle] did a great job on two of the best players in Eastern Maine,” Webb said.

Chere Wickstrom led the Crusaders with 15 points, while Freeman and Andrle each scored 11.

Bapst’s first basket of the game was a sign of things to come – Wickstrom knocked down a 3-pointer, the first of her four. The Crusaders went 5 for 10 from 3-point range.

Wickstrom nailed three in the first quarter to help John Bapst jump out to a 15-5 lead. Hampden attempted to start something late with baseline baskets from Tiffany Bragg and Lauren Maltz, and then the Broncs got a steal to end the quarter.

But Bapst’s Lauren Nichols opened with a basket to give the Crusaders a 17-9 lead.

Hampden had plenty of chances to cut into John Bapst’s lead in the second quarter. The Broncos played stellar man-to-man defense, allowing just three field goals and forcing eight turnovers, but faltered offensively. Jill Beal scored twice, but Hampden made just two of its nine field-goal attempts, and was 13 for 47 overall.

The Broncos forced 20 turnovers while committing 14.

“We played very well defensively, well enough to win the game,” said Hampden coach Ben Greenlaw, who replaced Webb in 2002. “We just didn’t convert. We had great looks, and we need to take more great shots. But [Bapst] came out, hit a three right off in the second half, and they made it difficult.”

Wickstrom hit another 3-pointer during a 7-0 run early in the third quarter.

“Everyone’s double- and triple-teaming Katie,” Webb said. “We try to kick it out to Chere.”

The Crusaders went 14 for 30 from the floor. Wickstrom, Freeman and Andrle combined to go 12 for 23.

Patience, Freeman said, was the key.

“That’s what Coach teaches us,” she said. “We just had to wait for the right pass. We just want to see the whole court and get that good pass in.”

CRUSADERS 43, BRONCOS 31

Hampden (0-1) John Bapst (1-0)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Veinote 0 0 0 0 0 Freeman 4 8 11

Maltz 3 4 0 0 6 D. Miller 0 0

Rawcliffe 3 7 0 2 6 Nichols 2 3 4

Bragg 2 3 0 0 4 Getchell 0 0

Lafayette 0 2 0 0 0 Greenlaw 0 1

Austin 0 3 0 0 0 Andrle 4 8 11

Beal 4 9 3 7 11 Wickstrom 4 7 15

Ryder 1 4 1 3 3 Wadleigh 0 0

Weiland 0 0 0 0 0 Pearson 0 0 0

Ross 0 15 1 4 1 McGuan 0 1 0 0

McDonald 0 0 0

K. Miller 0 0 0

Hi. Lfrriere 0 1 1

Crotty 0 0 0 0

Totals 13 47 5 16 31 14 30 10 20 43

Hampden 9 14 20 31

John Bapst 15 21 32 43

3-pt. goals – Hampden (0-5): Ross 0-5; John Bapst (5-10): Wickstrom 4-5, Freeman 1-1

JV: Hampden 34-24

Attendance: 275 (est.)