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PITTSFIELD – Bill Pullen gave the Maine Central Institute girls basketball team just a short halftime talk despite an 11-point deficit in Tuesday’s game against Rockland.
“I knew we were fine,” said the Huskies coach. “I wasn’t worried at all. I made it a very short halftime because I didn’t want them to think a lot about it, and I just told them we were in a good position.”
MCI came out of the locker room early and strong, and stayed that way through overtime, getting two huge 3-pointers from junior Victoria Huff and key free throws from sophomore Jenna Lorentsen as the Huskies knocked off Rockland 51-45 in overtime at Wright Gymnasium.
The Huskies, who were 10th in Tuesday’s Eastern Maine Class B Heal standings, know that even with a win over Winslow on Thursday they probably won’t be able to gain enough points to host a preliminary game.
But the 11-6 Huskies are fine with using the win over the third-ranked Tigers, now 14-3, for morale purposes. It was MCI’s first win over Rockland in three years.
“It was big for Heal points, but it was even bigger for us as MCI beating Rockland,” Lorentsen said.
Lorentsen scored 19 points and Huff chipped in with 17. Most of their offense came at the free-throw line – Lorentsen hit 5-of-6 in overtime and was 13-for-16 overall while Huff made all seven of her foul shots – but Huff made a big 3-pointer with 2:16 left in regulation and then hit another early in the extra period.
The Huskies had rallied and closed the gap in the fourth quarter but weren’t able to get within less than four points. Rockland had pumped the lead back to six points but again MCI got it to four when Lorentsen scored to make it 37-33 with 2:59 left.
Huff erased almost all of the deficit 43 seconds later with her 3-pointer from the right side off a pass from senior Kasey Dodge to make it 37-36.
“Coach said we were getting good shots, but they just weren’t able to fall,” Dodge said. “… We knew we could come back on them quickly.”
Rockland’s Dana Clark scored on a baseline drive but Amanda Asaro responded for MCI with a basket off a Dodge steal. Kylie Huff, Victoria Huff’s cousin, made one of two free throws with 27 seconds left in the fourth to tie the game and the Tigers were unable to get off a shot in regulation.
Once the four-minute overtime period started it took just 46 seconds for Huff to hit another 3-pointer, this time from the top of the key and give MCI the lead for good.
“At halftime Coach told me they were laying off on me a little, and the top of the key is my best shot for a 3-pointer, so I took the shot,” Huff said.
Lorentsen, who had four of her 15 rebounds in overtime, made another basket and later made five straight free throws.
MCI outrebounded Rockland 43-37 with at least 17 offensive rebounds.
“Rebounds were critical,” Tigers coach Karen Bickmore said. “They had multiple chances at baskets, which really hurt. That was one of the biggest factors.”
The Huskies also forced six Rockland turnovers in the fourth quarter while turning the ball over once themselves.
Rockland standout Caitlin Hynes scored 11 of her team-high 17 points in the first half.
HUSKIES 51, TIGERS 45 (OT)
Rockland (14-3) MCI (11-6)
Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP
Todd 2 11 0 0 4 B. Asaro 2 5 4
Clark 2 5 1 4 5 A. Asaro 3 6
Hansen 2 3 1 2 5 Dodge 0 7 0
Hynes 8 16 1 1 17 Oviatt 2 5 4
Butler 0 1 0 1 0 Perkins 0 0 0
Barnes 4 10 3 4 11 Faulkner 0 0
Ranquist 0 1 0 0 0 D. Huff 4 14 17
Boggs 1 1 1 1 3 Lorentsen 3 12 13 16 19
Felt 0 1 0 0 0 Ky. Huff 0 3 1
Ka. Huff 0 1 0
Totals 19 49 7 13 45 14 56 21 25 51
Rockland 11 21 32 39 45
MCI 3 10 26 39 51
3-pt. goals – Rockland (0-8): Todd 0-5, Clark 0-1, Butler 0-1, Ranquist 0-1; MCI (2-6): D. Huff 2-4, Dodge 0-2
JV: Rockland 32-28
Attendance: 200 (est.)
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