LEE – Off the court, the girls on the Lee and Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln basketball teams are friendly, and a couple are even related to each other.

On the court, however, it’s a different story – especially this season, as the Pandas and Lynx are two of the top teams in Class C and Class B, respectively.

Lee got the best of MA Thursday night as Karin Bird poured in 30 points and three other Panda starters put up double figures in a 71-54 victory as the Lynx made the short trip down Route 6 for the matchup.

“We haven’t played them since our freshman year so we’re glad we picked them back up again,” Bird said. “We’re really big rivals and we’ve played against each other forever.”

All 10 starters on the two teams are seniors.

Bird took just two field-goal attempts in the fourth quarter as she was limited due to foul trouble. But her 5-for-5 effort from the free-throw line helped hold off the Lynx, who never led but tied the game three times in the third quarter.

The Pandas (11-1) kept making short runs, however, that were too much for Mattanawcook (11-2) to overcome.

After Brittany Piche hit a long jumper to tie it at 45-45 late in the third, Bird drove inside for a basket, followed by an Amanda Gifford leaner and another driving shot by Bird. Gifford started out the fourth quarter with a basket off an Aarika Ritchie pass to go up 53-45.

The Lynx would cut it to a five-point game, however, when Deni Nicastro hit a shot and Michelle Paul made a free throw.

The score remained 53-48 for almost two minutes as the teams fouled and missed shots, but Lee’s final push put the game out of reach. Gifford drove the lane for a score with 4:32 left, followed by a Ritchie score off a Gifford pass. Laci McLaughlin then spotted up on the right wing for a jumper, after which Ritchie got to almost the same spot for another jump shot.

“I think we kept putting on the pressure, wearing them down, Brooke [Harris] chased and did a good job,” Ritchie said. “We just kept going full court and I think that wore them down. We moved the ball well, too, during that run.”

MA’s Kristy Burleigh ended Lee’s 8-0 run with 2:11 remaining, but the Pandas went 8-for-11 from the free-throw line in the final two minutes.

The Lynx had 26 turnovers, including two during Lee’s fourth-quarter run.

“Turnovers killed us,” MA coach Brian McDormand said. “You can’t do that against a team like that. That’s what we don’t want to do, that and force shots. But we were still in it, as many turnovers as we had, and the kids played hard.”

Bird scored 13 points in the second quarter, including a 3-pointer after Ritchie drove inside and kicked out a pretty pass to her teammate on the perimeter.

She was 10-for-19 from the floor on everything from jumpers beyond the arc to driving layups, hit two of her three 3-point attempts, and didn’t miss any of her eight chances at the free-throw line.

“I think I’m pretty good at recognizing what the defense is playing on me,” Bird said. “When they’re close I can go by them and when they sag I can take the open shot. We move the ball really well against a zone so we got a lot of open looks.”

Dana Houghton, who also got into foul trouble, wound up with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Ritchie scored 11 of her 13 points in the second half, during which time she also had seven of her 11 rebounds. Gifford finished with 13 points, including her two baskets in the fourth quarter.

Paul, who is a cousin to Bird and Lee guard Brooke Harris, led the Lynx with 11 points, hitting two 3-pointers as the Pandas went to zone defenses when their foul trouble mounted.

“I thought we played extremely well the whole fourth quarter and even though we didn’t extend our lead [early in the period], we played well, especially that last 4-5 minutes,” Lee coach Ron Weatherbee said. “The kids played some defense, even though we had to go to that zone we don’t like to play. I thought we were very active in the zone and did a good job on shooters.”

MA senior standout Brianna Hanscom, who has been one of the top scorers and rebounders in the Big East Conference this year, was 5-for-8 for 10 points and had three rebounds as she, too, got into foul trouble.

Ritchie was charged with guarding the slippery Hanscom.

“She’s strong and quick and she can jump, so I wanted to keep her away from the basket,” Ritchie said.

jbloch@bangordailynews.net

990-8193

PANDAS 71, LYNX 54

Mattanawcook (11-2) Lee (11-1)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Piche 4 7 0 0 9 Gifford 5 9 13

Deraps 0 0 0 0 0 Harris 1 5 2

M.Paul 4 9 1 2 11 Bird 10 19 30

Bri.Hnscm 5 8 0 1 10 Dow 0 0 0

Bro.Hnscm 3 13 0 0 6 McLghln 1 3 2

Nicastro 2 4 2 2 6 Ritchie 4 16 13

Libbey 0 6 0 0 0 McGaw 0 0 0

Gardner 0 2 0 0 0 Houghton 4 12 3 6 11

Hawkins 0 0 0 0 0

Burleigh 3 3 0 0 6

Nesin 3 4 0 0 6

Totals 24 56 3 5 54 Totals 25 64 19 26 71

Mattanawcook 10 29 45 54

Lee 12 34 51 71

3-pt. goals – MA (3-14): M. Paul 2-3, Piche 1-3, Gardner 0-1, Libbey 0-3, Bro. Hanscom 0-4; Lee (2-6): Bird 2-3, Ritchie 0-1, Harris 0-2

JV: Mattanawcook 53-32

Attendance: 500 (est.)