County YBOA teams compete at states

    The County Youth Basketball of America (YBOA) girls’ basketball teams finished the first half of the state tournament in Waterville last weekend.     All three teams advance to the championship round this weekend in the Waterville area. The 13-year-olds will play their first half of the state tourney this weekend, as well.
14-year-old team improves to 15-2
    The 14-year-old squad’s first game against the Swish of Falmouth wasn’t even close as The County jumped out to a 25-10 halftime lead and won easily 64-35.
    Three Presque Isle players led the scoring charge, as Chelsea Nickerson tossed in 15 points, while Kayla Richards netted 13 points and Casey Bonville had 11 more. Fort Fairfield’s Danielle Tracy added nine points for the winners.
    Game two against a very good Augusta area team, featuring six girls from Cony High School, was a physical game. The County trailed 30-24 at the break, with 14 of their points coming from the free throw line.
    According to coach David DeMerchant, the rebounding of Central Maine Starzz’s proved to be too much as The County suffered a 55-38 loss. The County went 22-of-39 from the free throw line, which was the difference in the final score.
    Nickerson had 13 points, while Richards finished with six. Vicki McIntyre (Mars Hill), Bonville and Kristen Long (Mars Hill) all chipped in with five points each. The team’s record goes to 15-2.
16-year-olds play short-handed
    The 16-year-olds played the always strong Maine Hoops from the Portland area and stayed with them throughout most of the game. But, playing with only six players, fatigue played a big part in the end, said coach DeMerchant, as The County lost 57-41.
    Houlton’s Vanessa Sanderson pumped in 13 points, while Fort Kent’s Taylor Boucher and Houlton’s Martha McPartland scored nine apiece.
    Game two against the Sanford Blue Wave was a game The County should have won, DeMerchant said.
    Trailing the entire game, The County came back and took the lead with two minutes to go and had possession of the ball.
    “Bad decisions with the ball, and a put back on a rebound by Sanford with four seconds left gave the Blue Wave the lead,” explained DeMerchant.
    A last second 3-point shot came up short and The County suffered a 54-52 loss.
    Sanderson fired in 22 points, while Boucher tossed in 11 and Houlton’s Desiree Dow chipped in with seven to spark a great comeback.
    With two losses, The County had to win their third game and have a little luck to have any chance at the championship round. Precision from Biddeford was next up for The County.
    The County wasted no time getting the lead as Fort Kent’s Breanna Thibodeau, Katahdin’s Olivia McNally each knocked down two 3-pointers to give The County a 35-25 halftime lead.
    The County slowly pulled a way in the second half for a 61-45 win behind Sanderson’s 14 points; Dow and McNally’s 12; Boucher’s nine; Thibodeau’s eight and McPartland’s six for a balanced attack.     With The County’s win, and a Precision victory over the Blue Wave, all three teams ended with 1-2 records. The tiebreaker of points scored against points allowed came into play and The County advances to the championship round this weekend with an 8-3 record.
Seniors fare well
    The 17-year-old team, featuring seniors from County high schools, with only one practice, tried one last time to make a name for themselves and did so quite well, according to coach DeMerchant.
    In game one against the Triple Threat, The County was tied at halftime, 20-all. Baskets by Ashland’s Whitney Flint and Mars Hill’s Amber Bradley gave The County a 43-40 win.
    Mars Hill’s Sarah Long scored 17 points, while Alex Dame of Mars Hill netted 10, along with six points apiece from Bradley and Flint.
    In game two, Brewer was the next victim for The County. Leading 17-15 at intermission, The County’s defense got in gear and allowed only 12 second-half points. Pacing the County to a 42-27 win was Long with 21 points and Robin Graham of Mars Hill with five.
    Washburn’s, Erica McDougall chipped in with five, while Mars Hill’s Kayla Day was the leading rebounder in both game with 19 rebounds.
    Their record is a perfect 2-0.