Heal Points on the line for Houlton

The Houlton Lady Shires routed Madawaska on Monday, 69-12, but had two close contests last week, and will face a challenging schedule to finish the season, with room to gain more points heading into postseason.
    At home against the Owls, the Lady Shires grabbed a 24-3 lead and never looked back, as all five starters hit double figures. Rachel Foster fired in 13 points and grabbed 11 rebounds; Lainey Herring finished with 13 points; Emily Bartlett added 12; Vanessa Sanderson tossed in 12 and Desiree Dow chipped in with 10.
But on Saturday, the Lady Shires pulled out a 47-44 win over host Calais, while last Tuesday night’s game between Houlton and visiting Presque Isle proved to closer than expected in the second half.
Against the Blue Devils, Foster turned in a double-double, 18 points and 14 rebounds, while Dow dropped in 13 points and handed out six assists. Herring scored six points, pulled down eight rebounds and had three steals.
The Lady Shires trailed at the break, 24-22 and played from behind in the third, 33-30 before taking the game in a decisive final period.
“We actually fell behind by as many as nine points in the fourth,” said Houlton coach Shawn Graham. “We still trailed by seven with 3:50 remaining.”
But, the Lady Shires managed an 8-0 scoring run in two minutes to take a one-point lead.
“We had a couple of steals by Desiree and Lainey and we were able to convert on both,” Graham explained.
Dow scored eight of her 13 points in the fourth quarter on a number of offensive put backs, Graham said.
Leading 45-44, Bartlett nailed two crucial free throws with seven seconds left to put Houlton ahead by three points.
Nicole Osborne tallied 14 points and Courtney Hill had 13 for Calais, which was coming off a big upset over Lee Academy.
“Overall, I thought it was a well-played game on both sides with minimal turnovers,” Graham said. “Calais was a totally different team than the one we saw a couple of weeks ago at home. It was good to see the kids overcome adversity in the fourth quarter. It should only make us better heading into the playoffs.”
The Lady Wildcats overtook their hosts in the third, 36-34. Then, Houlton’s full-court pressure helped them to a 26-10 surge in the final period to take the win, 60-46.
Seniors Foster and Emily Bartlett played pivotal roles in the fourth period, as Foster scored eight of her 20 points and Bartlett put in seven of her 10. Vanessa Sanderson tallied 14 points and eight assists for the winners.
The Lady Shires will have tough opponents to face to close out the season, as they have Lee Academy on Saturday and both Stearns and Fort Kent.
“There are a lot of Heal Points on the line,” Graham said. “We are playing pretty good team basketball thus far, however, I still feel we can improve on both the offensive and defensive end. I’d like to see a little better ball movement against zone defenses and I think our defense has another gear. It’s just a matter of bringing the intensity every night.”
In boy’s action, the Shiretowners showed they could win in big games, but on Saturday, their third-quarter slump proved costly after coming off a huge victory last Thursday night in East Millinocket.
The Shires battled back from an early opening deficit to pull to within a point, 14-13 to start the game and stayed with the Blue Devils in the second period, trailing by four, 31-27.
“We played a very good first half,” said Houlton coach Mike Fogarty. “We showed we can play with them. But, they are a very talented and well-coached team. We needed to play a full 32 minutes to compete with the two-time defending state champions.”
The Blue Devils came out with intensity to open the second half, which Houlton did not match. They were outscored 13-4, as Calais turned up the heat, 44-31.
“We had a breakdown during the third,” Fogarty said. “We found ourselves pressing a little on the offensive end. We tried to force the ball inside when there was nothing there. We also took an open shot probably a little earlier than I would like on some of our offensive possessions.”
The Shires fell to Calais, 60-47.
But, that wasn’t the case against Schenck just two nights earlier, as Houlton won, 48-41.
“We had great energy on both ends of the floor,” Fogarty said. “By far, it was the best effort we have had on the defensive boards. Our team defense has really improved. We are rotating so much better on the backside.”
The Shires played in synch against the Wolverines, who struggled from the perimeter over Houlton’s stingy defense. Leading 11-8 to open the game, the Shires kept the ball moving to find open players for a 25-12 halftime advantage. They held a 13-point lead at the end of the third, but Schenck didn’t give up and made a run in the final period, as the Shires held them off for the win.
Josh Beals who played “big” in the game finished the night with a game-high 18 points, while James Bates connected for nine points.
“Josh did a great job in positioning on the low post and our guys were giving him the ball where he can do something with it,” said Fogarty.
Last Tuesday, the Shiretowners never trailed against host Stearns, winning 61-46.
Bates led Houlton with 19 points and Beals posted 13 more for the winners.
The Shiretowners will travel to Hodgdon tonight.
“There is no let down,” Fogarty said. “You can throw out the records and standings when it comes to the crosstown rivalry. We need to continue to work hard each day and every night on both ends of the court.”
Monday at home, the Shires will match up again with Stearns.
“We cannot take them lightly”, Fogart said.