YBOA girls hoop teams started season

A group of Aroostook County girls ages 11-16 kicked off the Youth Basketball of America (YBOA) season downstate to play other teams from around the state in early March.
    The 11/12-year-old team and the 13-year-old team competed in the Sheriff’s Cup in Ellsworth, and both teams went 2-1.
On Saturday, the 11/12-year-olds opened their season with a 40-27 win over Woodland. Amanda Hotham, Fort Fairfield, led all scorers with 19 points. Brooke Labelle, Ashland, sunk in 6 points and Maegan Fitzpatrick, Washburn, and Alexa Massey and Rebecca McDougall, both of Caribou, each scored four points.
In game two against the Bangor YMCA, the team was trailing at the half, but used their press and made foul shots to pull out a 29-18 win. Again leading in points was Hotham with 11 points and Rachel Grew, Mars Hill, with seven points.
Going into Sunday against Washington Academy, with both teams undefeated, the Aroostook County team needed a win to advance to the semi-finals. The girls fell short 42-36 with Hotham at 15 points, Grew, seven points, Labelle, five points, McDougall, with four points all leading the way. Olivia Garrison had seven assists and Brea York lead with five steals. All team-members played major roles in the team’s success.
The 13-year-olds played with only seven players, but did equally well in the Sherriff’s Cup. The girls defeated Ellsworth in game one, 61-35, with Chelsea Nickerson, Presque Isle, leading the team with 15 points, Amanda Fogarty, Houlton, brought in 13, and Vicki McIntyre, Mars Hill, with ten points pacing a balanced scoring attack.
In game two against Calais, a 55-51 loss, poor foul shooting hurt the girls’ team, shooting 12 for 29 from the foul line. However, outstanding team defense kept the game close. Kayla Richards, Presque Isle, came away with 14 points, Nickerson with 13, and Jessica Walker, Fort Kent, had eight points, all spearheading the attack.
Game three was a must win situation against a much taller Lincoln team. The County girls won a hard fought game at 59-57. With all seven players scoring, the win was a complete team effort. Nickerson brought in 20 points, Richards, 11, Walker, 10, Kristen Long, Mars Hill, six, and four each from Becca Martin, Fort Kent, McIntyre, and Fogarty.
Since three teams ended with 2-1 records in the round-robin, points allowed was the determining factor, with Lincoln besting the girls by only 7 points, thus eliminating the county girls.
The 14/15-year-old team played at Colby College on Sunday in a round-robin format. Game one was a 46-28 win over Sanford. Nine of ten players scored with Taylor Boucher, Fort Kent, and Desiree Dow, Houlton, scoring eight points each. Seven points were scored by Vanessa Sanderson, Houlton, and six points each by Caitlyn Esancy, Fort Fairfield, and Suzie Poulin, Ashland.
Game two against Kennett Hoops was a 51-20 loss. Failing to control the ball really hurt the Aroostook County team in this one. Nine of ten players scored with Breanna Thibodeau, Fort Kent, and Courtney Churchill, Fort Fairfield, scoring five points each.
Game three saw all ten players scored. Team defense and playing well together really put this game away early, with an easy win over the Raiders, 63-46. Sanderson scored 14 points, Kelsie Wilson, Fort Fairfield, another 12 points, Boucher and Esancy each had eight points. Martha McPartland, Houlton, chipped in with five points, Poulin and Thibodeau had four each, two points from both Morgan Berbue, Washburn, and Dow, and one point from Churchill to round out the scoring.
The 16-year-old Aroostook County girls’ team finished with one win and two losses. The win was over Triple Threat. Sarah Long’s, Mars Hill, with 14 points and Amy Michaud’s, Presque Isle, nine points led the way. Darryl Ann Girardin, Presque Isle, and Whitney Flint, Ashland, helped with seven points each.
In game two against the 17 year old Northstar team, the girls never got untracked, and lost 51-20. Marissa Albert’s, Fort Kent, eight points and Michaud’s four points paced the team.
The locals battled on even terms throughout the entire game, but came up short with a 57-53 loss to Madison. Long had 17 points, Flint, 12, Alex Dame, Mars Hill and Albert each brought in eight points. Four points were scored by each Rachel Torrey, Woodland, and Michaud to round out the scoring. Kayla Day, Mars Hill, led the team in rebounds while Sarah Porter, Presque Isle, was the team’s assist leader.