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BANGOR – They worked too hard at the beginning to give it away at the end.
The No. 2 Washburn girls basketball team rolled out to a big early lead over No. 3 Greater Houlton Christian Academy and withstood a second-half comeback by the Eagles, including a last-second putback attempt that would have tied the game, to earn a 49-47 victory at the Bangor Auditorium and a berth in the Eastern Maine Class D championship game.
The Beavers, who got 22 points and eight rebounds from Erica McDougall, will face No. 1 Lee in Saturday’s 9:05 a.m. regional final.
The final score Thursday was the same outcome, 49-47, as Washburn and GHCA’s second regular-season matchup on Jan. 15. It was the Eagles’ only regular-season loss.
Megan Korhonen poured in 19 points for Greater Houlton Christian (19-2). The senior guard was bidding to be the first GHCA girls basketball player to score her 1,000th career point, but was two points shy of the mark after fouling out with 6.6 seconds left.
Without Korhonen on the floor for the final shot, GHCA interim head coach Terry Cummings wanted Sarah Riopel (13 points) to take the final shot. She did, but the ball didn’t go. Kasi Parker grabbed the offensive rebound but her shot at the buzzer didn’t go, either.
“We wanted Sarah to bring the ball up the floor,” Cummings said. “I told her, she had at least two, maybe three dribbles. We brought in Kasi Parker told her to plant herself under the basket, she and Kari Brewer. They did just that. We didn’t get the shot that we wanted, but Kasi did and it almost went in.”
Korhonen, however, did get the Eagles to within one point when she hit a 3-pointer with 42.1 seconds left in the game.
That basket nearly erased a 20-point lead Washburn built in the first half. The Eagles scored just one second-quarter field goal against Washburn’s 2-3 zone defense.
In the third, GHCA forced seven Washburn turnovers while committing none and went on two scoring runs. The first cut the Beavers’ 31-11 lead to 10 points. The second, capped by Korhonen’s short baseline jumper with 44 seconds left, cut the lead to two.
“They came out ready to play,” McDougall said. “There’s nothing you can do about a team who comes out that strong. We did our best and they came back.”
The Beavers were ahead by six in the fourth quarter but were unable to capitalize on the Eagles’ foul trouble, struggling at the free-throw line.
McDougall did make a foul shot with 19.1 seconds left to make it 48-44 but Korhonen’s 3-pointer cut it to one.
The GHCA standout then picked up her fifth foul, sending Washburn’s Alex Bird to the line for one of two free throws and the final margin.
“We played as hard as we could and ended up coming out with the win,” said Washburn’s Kelsee McLaughlin, who grabbed 11 rebounds.
BEAVERS 49, EAGLES 47
GHCA (19-2) Washburn (14-7)
Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP
Livezey 3 7 0 0 6 McLghln 4 10 8
Brewer 0 2 0 0 0 Huston 0 0 0
Jago 1 3 0 0 2 McDougll 7 16 12 22
Korhonen 7 23 4 6 19 AmyReed 3 4 7
Riopel 4 14 2 5 13 Bird 2 8 8
Parker 0 0 0 0 0 S.Cochrn 1 2
Boutilier 0 0 1 2 1 Palmer 1 2 2
Lord 2 13 2 4 6
Totals 17 62 9 17 47 Totals 18 41 13 29 49
GHCA 9 11 35 47
Washburn 15 29 37 49
3-pt. goals – Greater Houlton Christian Academy (4-17): Riopel 3-10, Korhonen 1-3, Lord 0-4; Washburn: none
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