Ashland teams split games

   ASHLAND, Maine – The Ashland girls’ varsity basketball team stayed with Greater Houlton Christian Academy in the first quarter of Wednesday night’s game but the Lady Eagles pulled away for the 76-45 win.
     “We played our best quarter of the year, I thought,” said Ashland head coach Bill Nemer. “We played good defense and it was 15-13 at the end of the first quarter, but they just started running and they hit unbelievably from the outside.”
GHCA hit six three-pointers on the evening including three from Sarah Riopel, two from Chelsea Lord and one from Megan Korhonen.
Overall Riopel paced the Lady Eagles with 17 points followed by 14 from Korhonen and 13 from Amanda Livezey.
Mindy Chasse led the Lady Hornet with 17 points and Whitney Flint added 14.
Last Tuesday, Ashland traveled to Van Buren and pulled out a 46-32 win. Chasse scored her seventh double-double of the season with 13 points and 15 rebounds. Flint added 17 to pace the team.
According to Nemer, sophomore guard Suzy Poulin had her defensive game of the year, guarding senior scoring threat Megan Lajoie.
“We played boxing one on Lajoie and Suzy Poulin guarded her the entire game,” Nemer said. “She finished with 18 points but most of her baskets were in transition. She scored zero in the first and third quarters and in the half-court offense I don’t think she scored at all.”
Ashland improves to 8-4 on the season and moves up to sixth in Eastern Maine Class D. The team hosts Limestone Community School/Maine School of Science and Mathematics Thursday and travels to Washburn Monday. Both games have a 7 p.m. start.
On the boys’ side, Ashland earned a 78-38 win over GHCA Wednesday night. Curtis Belanger poured in 25 points for the Hornets while Tyler Cote added 19 and Jeremy Tarr put in 10.
Zach Straubel led the Eagles with 16 followed by Chad Duff with 11 and David Guiggey with 10.
Tuesday night, the Hornets suffered a 66-59 loss to Southern Aroostook. Cote led Ashland with 15 while Tarr netted 14.
Leading Southern Aroostook was Colby Clark with 23 points followed by Robert Toothaker with 18 and Dakota Sleeper with 12.
The Hornets are now 6-6 on the season and in 17th place in Eastern Maine Class D. The team hosts East Grand at 6 p.m. Wednesday and travels to Central Aroostook in a game rescheduled from Jan. 19 on Saturday. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.