BANGOR – The Lee Academy girls basketball team has made a living on its pressing defense this season. Twenty-two wins later, the Pandas’ defense has paid off with a gold ball.

Lee got a game-high 19 points and 13 rebounds from senior star Shelby Pickering as the Pandas rolled to a 64-25 triumph over Western Maine champion Hyde of Bath in Thursday night’s Class D state championship game at the Bangor Auditorium.

It was the first state basketball title for the Lee girls, and it comes after last year’s 63-47 loss to Rangeley in the state final.

The 39-point difference was the biggest spread in 30 years of Class D girls state games, eclipsing the 1986 state final between Washburn and Buckfield, a 66-30 win for the Beavers.

It was also the first Class D state win for an Eastern Maine team since 2002, when Woodland won the title.

The Pandas, who start three freshmen and a junior along with Pickering, wrapped up a 22-0 season.

“Everyone hoped we would do well but we didn’t know exactly with so many freshmen,” said Pickering, who was named the Eastern Maine tourney MVP earlier this week.

“It came out better than I expected,” she added with a smile.

Like many of the teams that faced Lee this year, the Phoenix (11-10) struggled against Lee’s stingy defense. Hyde had 30 turnovers, including 17 in the first half, as Lee took a 33-14 halftime lead. Five of the Pandas’ first-half baskets came off fast-break opportunities.

“We played some great defense and it turned around and translated into easy hoops on the offensive end,” Lee coach Ron Weatherbee said.

The Pandas started off with an 8-0 lead – their first basket came on a Karin Bird fast break – and then enjoyed another 8-0 run into the second quarter.

“We played our game, and the fast break is our game,” Pickering said.

Lee had another big 12-0 run in the third, but the key to the big lead was stopping Hyde’s two main threats in the halfcourt.

Weatherbee put freshman guard Amanda Gifford on Hyde point guard Sabriah Faustin, while three different Lee players had a go at 5-foot-9 guard Shinikwa James, who was the Western Maine tourney MVP.

James finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds, but no other Hyde player came close. Faustin hit a 3-pointer in the first quarter for her only points of the game.

Faustin was called for an intentional foul in the second quarter.

“I think they got frustrated. Amanda was everywhere [Faustin] went, took away her right hand and it paid off,” Weatherbee said.

Junior Kerri Harris started out guarding James, and Weatherbee sent in Dana Houghton and Jackie Moors from the bench to also give a try against her.

“They were kind of breaking our press, so we had to pack it in and get our hands up in her face,” said freshman point guard Aarika Ritchie, who was named to the all-tourney team with Pickering.

All-tourney honorable mention Bird and Ritchie each added 11 points for Lee, while Gifford had nine.

Although the Pandas gained a lot of offense in transition, Lee didn’t shoot as well against Hyde’s different zone defenses.

“I don’t know if it was nerves, or we got up and relaxed,” Weatherbee said. “But overall we didn’t shoot as well as we have in most games.”

PANDAS 64, PHOENIX 25

Hyde (11-10) Lee (22-0)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Fleishmann 0 0 1 2 1 N.Jandreau 0 0

Faustin 1 3 0 0 3 B. Harris 0 0

Gould 0 1 0 0 0 Moors 1 1 2

Cleage 0 0 0 0 0 Pickering 8 19 3 5 19

Waller 0 2 0 0 0 Bird 4 6 11

Malen 1 4 0 0 2 Gifford 4 9 9

Diaz 1 6 0 0 2 McLaughlin 2 2 4

James 6 19 4 6 17 Ritchie 5 9 11

Skakel 0 1 0 2 0 As.Jndreau 0 0

Am.Jndreau 1 1 2

K. Harris 2 9 4

Houghton 1 2 2

Totals 9 36 5 10 25 Totals 28 62 10 64

Hyde 7 14 16 25

Lee 19 33 52 64

3-pt. goals – Hyde (2-3): Faustin 1-1, Malen 0-1, James 1-1; Lee (1-7): B. Harris 0-1, Gifford 0-1, Ritchie 1-3, Pickering 0-2