Laferriere erupts as Bapst triumphs Senior forward scores 18 points in third period as Crusaders top Central

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BANGOR – It seemed fitting that the John Bapst girls basketball team ended the third quarter of Thursday’s matchup against Central with 44 points on the scoreboard.

It was the dominant play of the Crusader wearing their No. 44 jersey – senior forward Hillary Laferriere – who powered undefeated John Bapst to its eighth win, a 47-21 victory over the Red Devils of Corinth at the Bangor Auditorium.

“When Hillary executes and comes to play, she’s pretty hard to stop,” Bapst coach Mike Webb said. “… When she wants to take over, she can.”

Laferriere did that in the third quarter, scoring 18 of her game-high 20 points and pulling down seven of her game-best 16 rebounds.

Her first points of the period came at the free-throw line 12 seconds after halftime – and after a difficult first half in which she managed just one basket as her teammates found it hard to get the ball inside.

“It was frustrating,” Laferriere said. “I get mad at myself.”

In the third quarter, the Crusaders went to Laferriere early and often. After she hit both free throws, Bapst gave up a basket to Central’s 6-foot-4 freshman Rebekah Campbell, but then Laferriere made a move around Campbell for a layup, followed by two more free throws and a Samantha Maquillan fast-break hoop to make it 27-17.

Laferriere put in another layup, followed by Eve Jordan and Samantha Gormley baskets. After that, Laferriere scored 11 straight points and played all but the final two seconds of the quarter.

Central’s foul trouble made it easier for Laferriere to move inside. Campbell picked up her fourth with 6:47 left in the third and 5-9 forward Jocelyn Portmann, who also starts for the Devils, got her fourth with about two minutes left in the quarter.

“That was the main thing,” Laferriere said. “Coach told us to try to get [Campbell] into foul trouble and once we did that it opened the game up.”

Campbell, who scored 12 points against Bapst in the teams’ first matchup, a 47-38 win on Dec. 26, was limited to nine points thanks to the defense of 6-2 junior center Gormley.

“We decided to face-guard her so we could get our hands in her face,” said Gormley, who pulled down 14 rebounds. “That was a good idea [by Webb]. He told me, just look deep in her eyes. Look her straight in the eye.”

While Laferriere was unstoppable on the offensive end, the Crusaders’ 2-3 zone defense in the second half was too much for the Devils. Central managed just six points after halftime.

“We needed to penetrate better and look for better shots,” Central senior guard Sami Morin said. “We look for our posts all the time and we need to learn to get our shots off, because we all can shoot.”

Jordan kept the Crusaders in it during the first half, scoring 12 of her 15 points before halftime.

Central had a 25-14 rebounding advantage in the first half, but Bapst got better in the second half and ended with a 46-37 edge on the boards. Campbell had 14 for the Devils.

jbloch@bangordailynews.net

990-8193

CRUSADERS 47, RED DEVILS 21

Central (2-5) John Bapst (8-0)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

R.McHugh 0 2 0 0 0 Jordan 6 11 15

K.McHugh 1 10 0 0 2 Chasse 1 3 2

Cote 0 0 0 0 0 Myerowitz 0 1 0

Day 0 1 0 0 0 Hayden 0 3 0 0

Ra.Trafton 2 7 0 1 4 Hardy 0 1 3

Pineo 0 2 0 0 0 Moriarty 1 3

Morin 1 5 0 0 2 Maquillan 1 2

Blanchard 0 4 0 2 0 Estes 0 1 0

Ro.Trafton 1 2 0 0 2 Edgecmb 0 0 0

Portmann 0 4 2 2 2 Boyle 0 0 0

Shina 0 0 0 0 0 Nelson 0 0 0

Campbell 4 12 1 5 9 Laferriere 7 15 6 6 20

Gormley 1 7 0 2

Totals 9 49 3 10 21 Totals 17 49 12 22 47

Central 8 15 19 21

John Bapst 13 19 44 47

3-pt. goals – Central (0-9): Day 0-1, Pineo 0-2, K. McHugh 0-2, Blanchard 0-4; John Bapst (1-5): Jordan 1-2, Hayden 0-1, Hardy 0-1, Moriarty 0-1

JV: John Bapst 53-22

Attendance: 200 (est.)