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BANGOR – Messalonskee of Oakland boasts a veteran, guard-oriented girls basketball team that feeds off opponents’ turnovers.
Presented the opportunity to cash in on takeaways early in their Eastern Maine Class A quarterfinal Friday night, the top-seeded Eagles built a big early lead and cruised to a 66-45 victory over eighth-ranked Bangor at the Augusta Civic Center.
The win advances Messalonskee (18-1) to a regional semifinal on Wednesday against fourth-ranked Lawrence of Fairfield, a 46-44 winner over No. 5 Skowhegan in Friday night’s earlier game.
Messalonskee induced 10 Bangor turnovers in the first quarter and built a 19-8 lead, then extended that margin to 43-22 by intermission. While Bangor battled back gamely after the break, the Rams could get no closer than 11 in the fourth quarter.
“When they go into transition they’re awfully tough,” said Bangor coach Tom Tennett, whose team ends its season with a 9-11 record. “They handle the ball so well. We didn’t think we could press them, that’s just inviting disaster when you try to do it.
“They’re number one for a reason. They’re very good.”
Perhaps equally important for Messalonskee was its collective work on the backboards. Bangor used its height advantage to good advantage during the regular season, when the Rams suffered two four-point losses to the Eagles.
This time the teams battled to a 28-28 rebounding stalemate.
“Rebounding was the key for us,” said Messalonskee senior guard Chelsea Barker. “We’re not a tall team, and the last time we played them they killed us on the boards so we knew that we had to get the boards and run the floor because that’s what we do best, run the floor.”
Barker, the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class A North player of the year, ran the floor best of all as Messalonskee avenged a loss to Bangor in last year’s quarterfinals.
She scored 16 points in the first half and finished the night with 23 points, eight rebounds and five steals.
“Chelsea just dribbles through you, and she either gets her shot or she’ll find the open player,” said Tennett.
Senior guard Amanda Barker added 15 points for the Eagles, while senior forward Melissa Oliver scored 10 points and senior guard Ashley Busque had nine.
Senior forward Caitlyn Smith led Bangor with a strong all-around game that produced 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Senior guard Emily Heath added 10 points for the Rams.
Messalonskee’s biggest lead was its halftime margin, which came when Chelsea Barker drove into the lane and was rewarded with a three-point play with 57 seconds left in the second quarter.
But Bangor came out more aggressively on defense after intermission, and that helped fuel a 7-0 run that moved the Rams back into contention.
Drives by Amy Hackett and Heath closed out the third quarter with Bangor within 51-36, and Hackett went inside for a three-point play in the opening minute of the final period to cut the gap to 12.
The Rams later got as close as 11 twice, the final time at 54-43 on a drive by Smith with 4:36 left.
But Chelsea Barker finally countered with a drive of her own, and Amanda Barker was fouled while making a fast-break layup and added the free throw to restore Messalonskee to a 59-43 cushion with 3:06 left.
“I wish we’d played our best game, we probably didn’t, but the kids worked awful hard,” said Tennett. “I was proud of their effort in the second half.”
EAGLES 66, RAMS 45
Bangor (9-11) Messalonskee (18-1)
Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP
Anselmino 0 1 0 0 0 C. Barker 8 21 6 10 23
B. Hackett 0 1 0 0 0 Busque 3 9 9
Dana 0 1 2 2 2 A. Barker 6 13 15
Heath 3 5 2 2 10 M. Oliver 4 10
Smith 5 13 2 2 12 Bridges 0 0 2
Hartley 0 0 0 0 0 H. Oliver 1 3
Roberts 0 0 0 0 0 Duren 0 0 0
A. Hackett 3 8 1 3 7 Haiss 2 2 4
Wadleigh 2 4 0 0 4
Sivik 0 1 0 0 0
Curtis 0 0 0 0 0
Clukey 1 5 4 5 6
Godinez 1 5 0 0 2
Doucette 0 0 0 0 0
Comstock 1 1 0 0 2
Totals 16 45 11 14 45 Totals 24 51 15 26 66
Bangor 8 22 36 45
Messalonskee 19 43 51 66
3-pt. goals – Bangor (2-5): Heath 2-4, Clukey 0-1; Messalonskee (3-11): Busque 1-2, C. Barker 1-4, A. Barker 1-5
In the evening’s first game, Alexa Bernatchez came off the bench to score 19 points and deliver the key defensive play as Lawrence edged Skowhegan.
Bernatchez, a 5-foot-10 junior forward, scored 15 points after intermission as the 15-5 Bulldogs built a lead of as many as nine points.
Bethany Sevey brought Skowhegan back late in the game, scoring nine of her team-high 15 points in the fourth quarter – including a 3-pointer that drew the Indians within 45-44 with 41.6 seconds left.
Skowhegan had three subsequent possessions to take the lead, or at least tie after Lawrence’s Brogan Liberty made 1 of 2 from the line with 15.6 seconds left to give the Bulldogs a two-point edge.
But on the Indians’ next possession, Bernatchez reached in front of Sevey and forced the Skowhegan standout to double dribble, a turnover that led to two more Lawrence free throws.
Megan Gilbert missed both tries with 4.8 seconds left, but after Skowhegan’s Megan Smith grabbed her 19th rebound of the game, the Indians were unable to get off a final shot.
Skowhegan (13-7) 44
Sevey 6-2-15, Pinkham 1-3-5, Matchett 1-2-5, Atkinson, Lambert 1-0-2, Smith 3-3-9, Evans 3-2-8
Lawrence (15-5) 46
Blakeney 1-3-5, Gilbert 1-0-3, Perry 0-2-2, B. Liberty 4-2-10, Murray 0-3-3, Nickerson 2-0-4, Bernatchez 8-3-19
3-pt. goals: Matchett; Gilbert
Skowhegan 6 10 21 44
Lawrence 9 15 29 46
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