Hackett sparks Bangor Rams top Broncos for fifth victory

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BANGOR – Freshman Amy Hackett hasn’t started any games yet for the Bangor girls basketball team, but she’s certainly played some key minutes this season.

Hackett’s offense and defense were critical Tuesday night as Bangor went up against Big East Conference rival Hampden at Red Barry Gymnasium. She scored baskets on three straight Ram possessions in the third quarter, helping the Rams gain the lead for good, while spending stretches guarding Hampden’s top offensive player in a 45-38 victory over the Broncos.

It was a point-worthy victory for coach Tom Tennett’s Bangor squad, which goes to 5-1. Hampden (3-3) was ranked seventh in the most recent Heal Point standings and the Rams were fifth.

Senior Erin Porter had seven of her team-high 12 points in the third as Bangor pulled away from a 13-13 halftime tie.

The Rams and the Broncos traded shots early, but Hackett sparked an 8-0 run with a drive to the basket, followed by an offensive rebound hoop, and then she scored off a steal.

Porter then drove inside and put a shot up off the glass, a play that also followed a Hampden turnover, for a 23-15 lead.

“We started putting a lot more pressure on the ball and that forced a lot of turnovers,” Hackett said. “We just started playing really hard. We came out strong, because in the beginning our offense wasn’t working as well.”

Hampden’s Jill Beal (14 points) ended the run with a layup off a pass from Annaliese Lafayette, but the Broncos couldn’t get back into the game in time. Porter gave the Rams more room at the end of the quarter when she drove the baseline for a basket – again, after one of Hampden’s four third-quarter turnovers – and then hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

“We had some turnovers against their pressure which made things hard, and I think we got beat up and down the floor a few times,” Broncos coach Ben Greenlaw said. “We just kind of let down for the first four minutes of the third quarter and you can’t do that against a good team.”

Hampden had 18 turnovers in the game.

Porter and Hackett shared time at the top of Bangor’s 1-3-1 zone defense. Keeping Hampden guard Tanna Ross from getting off too many shots was a big concern for Bangor, Porter said.

Ross did hit four of her five 3-point attempts en route to 18 points but the Broncos went more than three minutes without scoring at the beginning of the fourth.

Ross hit the last of her four 3-pointers with 29 seconds left in the game.

“Tanna’s very, very good,” Porter said. “She can turn a game around.”

It was a typical offensive performance for the Rams, who have showed a lot of scoring balance this year. Serena Dubois chipped in with 10 points, while Caroline Weymouth and Kelsey Curtis each added eight. Curtis hit 3 of 4 from the line in the third quarter.

The Broncs did manage a 38-27 rebounding advantage, however. Ross had 10 rebounds, while Beal and Amy Ryder combined for 15.

RAMS 45, BRONCOS 38

Hampden (3-3) Bangor (5-1)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Maltz 0 1 0 2 0 Ogden 0 0 0

K. Rawcliffe 2 3 2 6 6 Angst 0 5 0

Bragg 0 2 0 0 0 Porter 4 10 12

Lafayette 0 4 0 0 0 Hackett 3 7 6

Austin 0 0 0 0 0 Weymouth 2 10 3 4 8

Beal 7 16 0 1 14 Webb 0 0 1 1

Ryder 0 6 0 0 0 Dubois 5 10 10

Ross 6 14 2 4 18 Curtis 2 5 4 8

Godinez 0 0 0 0

Totals 15 46 4 13 38 Totals 16 47 11 23 45

Hampden 7 13 23 38

Bangor 7 13 35 45

3-pt. goals – Hampden (4-6): Ross 4-5, Beal 0-1; Bangor (2-7): Porter 1-2, Weymouth 1-5

JV: Bangor 44-34

Attendance: 200 (est.)