They played in the shadows of more highly acclaimed teammates throughout the regular season. But seniors Lincoln Robinson of Foxcroft Academy and Thomas McGown played pivotal roles Saturday in helping their teams reach the Eastern B boys basketball semifinals.

Robinson, a 5-foot-9 guard, struck for eight points, all in the first half, and provided considerable perimeter defensive pressure in the absence of backcourt mate, Josh Withee, who was hampered by foul trouble.

“I’m more of a hustle guy, I go out there and work my butt off on defense and find a few open layups once in a while,” said Robinson, who also had four steals and five rebounds during the Ponies’ 59-42 win over Presque Isle. “But when I get the open look I’ve got to make teams honest. Coach [David Carey] has really been stressing that late in the season, to make teams honest when I get my shots.”

Robinson made 3 of 5 shots in the first half, including a pair of 3-pointers as Presque Isle focused its defensive attention on Ponies’ low-post standouts Brandon Hall and Matt Carey.

“Lincoln had a super game,” said David Carey. “What he does is what people don’t always see, but I see it every day in practice. He can help you win. He can flat out show you how to win. That’s the bottom line.”

McGown, a 6-3 center, came off the Hermon bench to contribute eight points and seven rebounds in the Hawks’ 70-63 overtime win over Ellsworth. He was particularly effective midway through the first half, grabbing four rebounds and scoring four points during a two-minute stretch to help Hermon rally from an early six-point deficit – with both baskets stemming from offensive rebounds.

McGown helped spark another Hermon comeback late in the third quarter, working the inside to score twice on feeds from senior guard Jesse Keith to highlight 9-2 run. His basket as the buzzer sounded gave the Hawks a 39-37 advantage, the Hawks first lead since the game’s opening moments..

Big East title game pays dividends

The Caribou High girls basketball team had a big week at the Bangor Auditorium.

On Tuesday, the Vikings got an opportunity to play on the Auditorium floor in the Big East Class B championship game against archrival Presque Isle.

While the time spent on the celebrated hardwood was a nice chance to get acclimated, Caribou’s 43-40 victory over the previously unbeaten Wildcats (although in a non-countable game) gave the Vikings a big emotional boost.

“We had a lot of confidence coming in,” Lindsay Burlock said of Caribou’s Saturday quarterfinal against Winslow. “After beating an undefeated team on this floor, we knew we could do anything.”

The No. 4 Vikings return to the Auditorium Wednesday night for an 8:35 semifinal against Camden Hills.

Headaches plague Schofield

Close games invariably mean bad postgame headaches for first-year Caribou High girls coach Bill Schofield, but he’s learning to deal with them.

“I get headaches so bad after games like this,” Schofield said after the Vikings beat Winslow in Saturday’s Class A quarterfinal at the Bangor Auditorium.

Schofield’s headaches are physiological, not the result of pressure or excessive yelling, according to his doctor.

“My doctor says my brain’s working so hard it uses all the sugar out of it,” Schofield explained. “I juice up on Mountain Dew before we start, but I still use it all.”

If winning an Eastern Maine title means suffering through a couple more pounding headaches, Schofield wouldn’t mind.

“It’s worth it,” he said.

Been there, done that

One of the big keys in eighth-seeded Camden Hills’ upset victory over previously undefeated and top-seeded Presque Isle Saturday was the Windjammers’ familiarity with the Wildcats’ style of play.

While Presque Isle did not face any quick, deep, guard-oriented ballclubs during the course of the season, Camden Hills had significant exposure to those kinds of teams.

“Our KVAC is full of teams that play uptempo basketball,” said Camden Hills junior Samantha Wiley.