BANGOR – Jenny Rollins’ first two seasons with the Central High girls basketball team ended the same way – with a loss to Calais in the Eastern Maine Class C semifinals.

Her junior year will have a different conclusion, as the 5-foot-6 guard scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds Friday night to lead the fifth-seeded Red Devils to a 59-54 regional semifinal victory over the top-ranked Blue Devils at the Bangor Auditorium.

“We just came out big because this was the third time and we couldn’t let them do it to us again,” said Rollins. “We really wanted this so bad, so we went for it.”

The win advances 17-4 Central of Corinth to tonight’s Eastern C title game against 20-0 Dexter, which topped Houlton 56-30. Dexter defeated Central twice during the regular season.

Rollins actually watched the final 19.5 seconds of the game from the bench after re-aggravating a left knee injury.

But as she hobbled to the bench after being fouled by Calais center Danielle O’Brien, Rollins called for senior guard Shawna Bell to take her place at the free-throw line – and her mother, Central coach Diane Rollins, agreed.

Bell calmly made both free throws to give Central a 57-54 lead.

“It felt good,” said Bell. “I knew I had to do it for Jenny.”

Calais guard Tracie Eagan then came up short on a 3-point try, and Central’s Caitlin Elliott added two free throws with 4.5 seconds left to lift the Red Devils past their tourney nemesis.

“It was quite a bit of a mental block we had to get over, but we just knew that this year we were better,” said Diane Rollins. “I’ve been feeding it and feeding it and hoping it would get through to them, and it did.”

For a Calais team that brought no seniors to this year’s tournament, Friday’s loss marked the first time the 16-4 Blue Devils failed to qualify for the Eastern Maine final since 1992.

“The kids played well,” said Calais coach Bob McShane. “We’ve got a lot of young kids out there, and they did a good job, but the same things haunted us that have been haunting us, boxing out and things like that.”

Calais’ ability to box out was hampered by O’Brien’s foul trouble. The 6-1 junior played only 9 minutes and 58 seconds before fouling out.

With O’Brien sidelined for long periods of time, Central controlled the inside through the play of 5-10 sophomores Elliott and Teresa Libby. Elliott finished with 14 points and six rebounds, while Libby came off the bench to contribute 11 points and eight boards.

“O’Brien’s their only height, so we knew that if we pounded it inside we could get it done because no one else could match up with Caitlin and Teresa because of size,” said Jenny Rollins.

Calais took a 29-24 lead into the second half, but Central switched to an extended 2-1-2 zone that served to pressure the Blue Devils’ perimeter shooters.

Central ran off the first eight points of the third quarter, with Bell converting a pair of fast-break layups and Elliott feeding Rollins and Traci Underhill for baskets.

The Red Devils never trailed again after Rollins converted a three-point play good for a 37-34 lead, but they could never pull away as Calais got timely offense from Emily Smith (16 points), Tracy Eagan (13) and Courtney Taylor (10 points, eight rebounds).

RED DEVILS 59, BLUE DEVILS 54

Central (17-4) Calais (16-4)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Collins 0 2 0 0 0 Smith 6 14 16

Davis 2 4 0 0 4 Eagan 5 14 13

Elliott 5 11 4 7 14 McIver 0 0 0

Rollins 8 22 4 5 21 O’Brien 1 5 2

Underhill 1 1 1 3 3 Taylor 5 10 10

Daniel 0 2 0 0 0 Gillespie 3 6

Bell 2 6 2 2 6 Brown 0 2 0 0

Griffiths 0 0 0 0 0 Mingo 3 6 6

Libby 5 6 1 1 11 Allen 0 1 1

Totals 23 54 12 18 59 23 60 54

Central 11 24 42 59

Calais 19 29 40 54

3-pt. goals: Central (1-5): Rollins 1-2, Bell 0-3; Calais (5-19): Smith 3-7, Eagan 2-8, Taylor 0-1, Gillespie 0-3