BANGOR – It’s not the Bangor Auditorium, but the Bangor girls basketball team doesn’t care. The Rams are headed to the Eastern Maine Class A tournament even if it will be held in Augusta for the first time this year.

And they did it by beating their biggest rival – a team that took them to overtime just six days ago.

No. 4 Bangor played tough defense and got a monster effort from sophomore Amy Hackett, rolling over No. 13 Brewer 55-33 at a packed Red Barry Gymnasium in a Tuesday night preliminary-round game.

The Rams, now 14-5, will face No. 5 Messalonskee of Oakland at the Augusta Civic Center Friday at 7 p.m. as the tourney moves to its new home.

“We’re so pumped,” said Bangor senior Kelsey Curtis, who scored 14 points to go with 10 rebounds and three blocks. “We’re so excited. Even though [Brewer is seeded] 13 and we’re four, it doesn’t matter. It’s such a rivalry.”

Brewer finishes at 6-13.

Hackett led Bangor with 16 points. She played almost the entire game, sitting down with 2:39 left in the fourth quarter.

“Amy’s been getting better and better over the second half of the season,” Bangor coach Tom Tennett said. “She plays so well defensively. Her scoring has made a huge difference.”

Hackett admitted she was bit tired but tried to play hard anyway.

“The intensity kind of keeps me going and the adrenaline kicks in,” Hackett said. “You have to play until they call your name.”

Brewer had 20 turnovers as Bangor played its 2-2-1 zone press and 1-3-1 halfcourt zone. The Rams extended their point defender – Hackett, naturally – to help create turnovers.

“It was starting to bother them so we could get a couple of easy steals,” Hackett said. “Or when they’d throw the pass they weren’t comfortable with it. So it really helped to bring me up a little bit.”

It was a different look than the Witches were expecting.

“Their defense was more intense tonight than it was the other night,” Brewer coach Andy Nickerson said. “They’re a great team and they deserve to go [to the tournament]. Their kids made shots, made plays.”

Hackett had a key play at the end of the second quarter, stealing a Brewer pass and streaking back for a layup. It came about 35 seconds after Brewer standout Katie Quimby hit her only 3-pointer of the game to give the Witches their first lead since the first quarter.

Curtis followed with two free throws 7.6 seconds before halftime, and Bangor took a 20-17 lead into the locker room.

The Rams had a 21-8 scoring edge in the third quarter, which they attributed to improved defense.

“We were making the layups we missed, our jump shots, our foul shots,” Curtis said. “It all came together because we came out with a lot more emotion.”

Bangor held a 3-point lead early in the period, but a Noelle Lincoln jumper in the lane sparked a 6-0 run that included a field goal and two free throws from Curtis.

Brewer’s Jordan McLain (12 points, 10 rebounds) hit a free throw to make it an 8-point game, but Bangor’s Serena Dubois and Hackett scored to pump the lead up to 12.

Brewer’s Elizabeth Cote hit the first two baskets of the game as the Witches rolled out to a 6-0 lead. The Rams scored eight straight to take over.

RAMS 55, WITCHES 33

Brewer (6-13) Bangor (14-5)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Quimby 3 20 0 1 7 Angst 1 6 3

Wilson 0 7 0 0 0 Dana 0 0 0

Cote 3 8 1 2 7 Heath 0 1 2 2

Martin 0 1 1 2 1 A.Hackett 7 11 2 5 16

Gomm 0 1 0 0 0 Smith 0 0 0 0

Jackson 2 4 0 1 4 Lincoln 1 6 2

M. McLain 0 2 0 0 0 Gould 0 0 0

Seymour 0 1 0 0 0 Bisacre 1 1 2

J. McLain 5 6 2 4 12 Wadleigh 2 4

Kenney 1 3 0 1 2 Dubois 2 9 6

Curtis 3 6 8 14

Clukey 0 1 0 0

Hartley 0 1 0 0

Godinez 2 4 2 6

B.Hackett 0 0 0

Totals 14 53 4 11 33 Totals 19 49 16 19 55

Brewer 6 17 25 33

Bangor 8 20 41 55

3-pt. goals – Brewer (1-14): Quimby 1-12, Wilson 0-1, Gomm 0-1; Bangor (1-10): Angst 1-4, Heath 0-1, Lincoln 0-5

Attendance: 600 (est.)