BANGOR – Everything has come together for the Calais girls basketball team in the past few weeks. After a dismal start to the season, the No. 8 Blue Devils won six in a row coming into the Eastern Maine Class C tournament.

Now, the perennial power is back in the regional final thanks to clutch free throws and a 15-point, 10-rebound effort from senior Lindsey Mingo as Calais upset No. 5 Penobscot Valley of Howland 58-54 Friday afternoon in an Eastern Maine Class C semifinal at the Bangor Auditorium.

“We were really struggling [at the beginning of the season],” Calais coach Bob McShane said. “… When we played anybody good, we looked horrible. The last couple of games we’ve been better.”

Calais, now 15-6, will face No. 2 Dexter in today’s 7:05 p.m. EM Class C final. The two teams squared off in the 2005 regional title game with the Tigers winning 60-40.

The Blue Devils have won five state titles and four more EM championships since 1991.

“No one expected us to even make the tournament this season,” Mingo said. “Now we’re going to Eastern Maines.”

Calais sophomore Tessa Clark had the key free throws in the final minute, including a foul shot with 4.5 seconds left to make it a four-point game.

The Howlers had a 50-48 lead with less than four minutes left in the game but the Blue Devils went on a 6-0 run sparked by Courtney Hill’s conventional three-point play.

Later in the quarter Calais’ Ashley Allen (14 points) drew the fifth foul on Howler standout center Kelsy Lavertu with 1:14 left and hit the ensuing free throws for a 56-51 edge.

Mindy Dolley, one of Penobscot Valley’s dangerous perimeter players, then drained a 3-pointer with 40 seconds left but missed two free throws 10 seconds later. Mingo rebounded the second miss and Clark was fouled with 19 seconds left. She made one of two foul shots for a 57-54 lead.

The Howlers tried to set up a shot to get within one point with 10 seconds left. Kacey Plourde had an open jumper inside the 3-point line, but the ball hit the side of the backboard.

“We wanted to keep pressure defense on their 3-point shooters and make sure not to foul them,” Allen said.

Clark was fouled during the rebound scramble and went back to the line, making a free throw for the final margin.

“We had plenty of time,” PVHS coach Joe Cyr said. “We just didn’t get swung around. That’s from tournament experience. I believe they settled in a little better than we did on some of the key plays. Foul shots were a big issue at the end.”

Calais center Jessica Brown, who scored 11 points and had 14 rebounds before fouling out, and Mingo combined to hold Lavertu to 10 points. She had 12 rebounds.

“We got her in foul trouble early and then just tried to stay on her,” Mingo said. “Whenever she went to the basket, we tried to get an offensive foul or make sure she didn’t get the shot she wanted to take.”

Lexi Thurlow came off the PVHS bench for 13 points and Dolley also scored 13.

BLUE DEVILS 58, HOWLERS 54

Calais (15-6) Penobscot Val. (15-5)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Hill 3 11 2 3 8 Drost 0 1 0 0

Mingo 6 10 3 3 15 Thurlow 3 5 10 13

Clark 3 9 2 3 8 McClsky 3 8 6

Allen 5 12 2 3 14 Cyr 2 12 7

Cross 1 3 0 0 2 Plourde 2 9 5

McVicar 0 1 0 0 0 Lavertu 5 8 10

Beaton 0 0 0 0 0 Dolley 4 15 13

Brown 5 8 1 2 11

Morrison 0 0 0 0 0

Totals 23 54 10 14 58 Totals 19 58 11 23 54

Calais 17 27 39 58

Penobscot Valley 15 28 39 54

3-pt. goals – Calais (2-5): Allen 2-4, McVicar 0-1; Penobscot Valley (5-24): Dolley 3-11, Cyr 1-9, Thurlow 1-1, McCloskey 0-3