Lady Wildcats fall in OT

    PRESQUE ISLE, Maine – A turnaround jumper by Angela Norsworthy completed a 15-point comeback for the Presque Isle girls’ varsity basketball team against Mattanawcook Academy Saturday and sent the game into overtime, but the Lady Lynx got points from Michelle Paul, Bree Hanscom and Denielle Nicastro in the extra period to earn the 69-67 win.        Mattanawcook took the early advantage in overtime, but four consecutive points from Norsworthy put the Lady Wildcats ahead 63-61 with 2:29 left. Two rebounds by Sarah Porter kept the Lady Lynx to a pair of one-shot possessions and Presque Isle opened up a four-point lead with 1:20 remaining when Mattanawcook attempted to trap Norsworthy in the left corner. The senior center found teammate Janna Clukey wide open under the net for an easy two.
Mattanawcook regained the lead on a pair of foul shots by Nicastro and a three-pointer by Paul with 22 seconds left. The Lady Lynx used the press to force a turnover and a foul by Presque Isle. Hanscom sunk the free throws for a 68-65 lead with 5.6 on the clock, but her team did the worst thing possible, fouling Norsworthy on a final three-point attempt. The shot went off the rim but Norsworthy got a chance to tie on three foul shots.
The drama continued as the first shot hit the front of the rim and bounced out. The second one went, forcing the Lady Wildcats to hope for a miss on the third for a chance at a rebound. The final shot banked off the glass and fell in. Presque Isle fouled immediately on the inbounds pass putting Nicastro on the line with only half a second remaining.
She put in one of two free throws and Presque Isle couldn’t get an inbounds shot off quickly enough, giving Mattanawcook the win.
The Lady Lynx grabbed an early lead behind the inside presence of Hanscom, who put up eight points in the first five and one half minutes of regulation to give her team a 16-8 lead. A full-court press helped the team create turnovers but also got them in foul trouble. Mattanawcook was in the team bonus at the 6:15 mark of the second quarter.
Presque Isle opened the third behind a 3-2 zone to stop the bleeding inside, but Hanscom and Paul continued to dominate.
The comeback began early in the fourth for Presque Isle when Porter drained a three-pointer to cut the Lady Lynx lead to 10. Norsworthy added points inside and Chelsea Glovins helped stretch the defense with a three that cut the lead to five with 4:34 left.
Glovins picked up a loose ball at mid court and passed ahead to Porter for the long two and Norsworthy stole the ensuing inbounds pass. Her shot fell short but the Lady Wildcats kept the ball on a Mattanawcook tip out in rebounding action.
Porter took the inbounds pass and attempted to drive into the center but was double teamed and kicked the ball back out. She was fouled on the pass and put in both sides of a one-and-one to move Presque Isle to within three.
The teams traded baskets and turnovers and a foul shot by Nicastro put the Lady Lynx up by four.
Legassie got a long two to go to cut the lead back to two and two consecutive steals by Clukey and Legassie set up Norsworthy’s game-tying shot and sent the teams into overtime where Mattanawcook earned the win.
Leading the Lady Lynx was Hanscom with 27 and Paul with 18. Brooke Hanscom rounded out players in double figures with 10. Bree Hanscom led in rebounding with 11.
Porter and Norsworthy led Presque Isle with 22 points each. Legassie and Amy Michaud added eight points each. Porter led in rebounding with 12. The Lady Wildcats hit 21 of 28 attempts from the free throw line.
Presque Isle moves to 7-6 on the season and drop to eighth in the Eastern Maine Class B girls’ basketball standings. Mattanawcook improves to 10-2 and leap from eighth to fifth in the standings. The two teams face-off again this Saturday at 4 p.m. in Lincoln.