BANGOR – No more woulda, shoulda, coulda for the Lee Academy girls basketball team.

The Pandas did it.

Lee chanted its woulda, shoulda, coulda rallying cry – a reflection of what the Pandas believed to be a too-early quarterfinal exit from the tournament last year – one more time before Saturday afternoon’s Class D state championship game at the Bangor Auditorium.

When the Pandas emerged, they had a dominating 65-45 victory over Western Maine champion Hyde of Bath and the program’s second state Class D crown in two years.

“After last year’s loss we knew we should have been here. We wanted to prove to everybody that we should be state champs,” said Lee junior forward Karin Bird, who led the Pandas with 23 points and 11 rebounds.

Lee (19-3) wraps up the school’s third girls state championship in four tries in team sports over the last three seasons. The Pandas won the 2006 Class D softball and soccer titles but fell short in cross country.

Lee beat Hyde 64-25 in the 2005 state game.

The Pandas set a Class D state championship title-game record with 21 made free throws, which came on 25 attempts for a stellar 84 percent shooting average. The previous record of 19 was shared by Wisdom of St. Agatha (1998) and Shead of Eastport (1999).

Bird led the way with 11-of-11 shooting from the line.

Lee went to Bird early and she responded with 14 points of the Pandas’ 30 first-quarter points. Meanwhile, Lee’s man-to-man full-court pressure defense forced eight Phoenix turnovers in the first quarter and 16 in the first half as the Pandas had a 42-19 halftime lead.

Hyde finished with 27 turnovers.

“We didn’t come ready to play,” Phoenix coach Tom Bragg said. “[Lee] definitely pressed us from the beginning of the game, the first half and I’d say most of the third period as well and our girls just weren’t ready for it.”

As usual, Lee’s offense was powered by its transition game.

“We force turnovers and that’s what gives our offense the most confidence,” said Amanda Gifford, a Panda junior guard who had 10 points, eight rebounds and four steals. “Once we get focused on defense we know the offense is gonna come.”

Hyde’s Chelsea Malen poured in 24 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter as the Phoenix cut the lead to 17 points and then 15 when Mahalia Gauld (11 points) nailed a 3-pointer with two minutes left and most of Lee’s substitutes in the game. Hyde (17-2) didn’t score again, however.

Lee junior forward Dana Houghton scored 14 points and junior Aarika Ritchie chipped in with nine points, five assists and six rebounds. She also held Hyde forward Frances Moreau (13.6 ppg in the Western Maine tournament) scoreless.

“I knew she was a good ball-handler and could shoot well,” Ritchie said. “I moved my feet and tried to stay in front of her. And I had good help, too.”

Hyde, which broke the Western Maine tourney record for 3-pointers in a game with eight in the WM final, hit seven against Lee. Malen was 5-for-10.

PANDAS 65, PHOENIX 45

Hyde (17-2) Lee Academy (19-3)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

M. Gauld 4 9 1 2 11 Gifford 3 11 10

Landry 0 0 0 0 0 Harris 2 5 5

Urzua 2 6 0 2 4 Mallett 1 2 2

Macklin 0 0 0 0 0 Slevinsky 0 2

Moreau 0 9 0 0 0 Bird 6 10 11 11 23

MacMillan 0 1 0 0 0 Dow 0 1 0

Lundgren 1 4 0 0 2 McLghln 0 3 0

Malen 9 15 1 2 24 Ritchie 2 6 9

Skakel 1 2 2 4 4 Cowan 0 0 0

Fahey 0 1 0 0 0 McGraw 0 2 0

S. Gauld 0 0 0 0 0 Jandreau 0 0

Scarce 0 0 0 0 0 Houghton 7 12 0 0 14

Totals 17 47 4 10 45 Totals 21 56 21 25 65

Hyde 10 19 27 45

Lee Academy 30 42 53 65

3-pt. goals – Hyde (7-25): Malen 5-10, M. Gauld 2-5, Lundgren 0-1, Fahey 0-1, Moreau 0-8; Lee (2-8): Gifford 1-3, Ritchie 1-3, Harris 0-1, Bird 0-1