PI girls hold off pesky Viking team
Sports Editor
PRESQUE ISLE — A regular-season showdown between Presque Isle and Caribou gave girls basketball fans something to relish Wednesday evening as the two teams met in Presque Isle. And for the better part of the game, the fans got their money’s worth as the two teams battled back and forth in a tightly contested game.
Presque Isle (17-1) pulled away in the final five minutes for a 46-35 victory. The Wildcats also beat Fort Kent 59-53 Friday evening to close out the regular season
On Wednesday, Caribou (8-10) had everything to gain from an upset victory and played with solid determination for much of the game. A victory over the Wildcats would have guaranteed Caribou of a spot in the postseason. Instead, the Vikings were handed their fifth straight loss.
“We played with a lot of heart and desire that I had not seen all season,” Caribou coach Bill Schofield said. “I’ve seen it in spurts. This game meant a lot to us. We’re a young team with two seniors, and there was not a lot of returning players having lost eight seniors. We’ve gotten better along the way, but we just couldn’t seem to get it in their heads how to close out games.”
Presque Isle’s Chandler Guerrette led all players with 20 points, including three 3-pointers. Two of Guerrette’s treys game at the buzzer at the end of the second and third quarters. Kayla Richards chipped in eight points, while Haley Johnston added six; Chelsea Nickerson and Elizabeth Kofstad, each five; and Meredith Stewart, two.
For Caribou, Jenna Selander once again led the way with 16 points, while Danielle Soucy added eight; Alexa Massey, five; Dayna Michaud, three; and Brittany Doak, two.
Emotions were high for Wednesday’s game as five senior Wildcats played their final game at PIHS. Seniors Alicia Kierstead, Kelsey Park, Johnston, Kofstad and Krista Coffin were each presented with flowers in a ceremony before the game.
“Some of the kids were a little too excited coming into tonight’s game and it showed early,” Presque Isle coach Jeff Hudson said.
The Wildcats took a quick 6-0 lead on back-to-back 3-pointers from Johnston and Kofstad, but then the Vikings sailed back with an 8-2 run with a pair of baskets from Selander and Soucy to end the first quarter knotted at 8-8.
The Vikings took their first lead as play resumed in the second quarter when Selander went in for a layup, but that lead proved short-lived as Presque Isle went on a 5-0 run, all from Guerrette, to re-take the lead 13-10 with 5:00 to play in the half.
Caribou managed to go back on top 19-16 late in the quarter, but Presque Isle closed out the half with a 5-2 run to knot the game at 21-21 at the buzzer.
In the third quarter, Presque Isle maintained its lead, but Caribou remained within striking distance, as the stanza ended with the Wildcats up 32-27.
The Vikings stayed close for much of the final quarter before Presque Isle slowly pulled away thanks to strong free throw shooting. Presque Isle was a perfect six-for-six from the foul line in the final 1:22 and finished 16-of-24 (67 percent) on the night. In comparison, Caribou made six of 11 foul shots (55 percent).
“They [Presque Isle] did a real nice job of making adjustments at halftime,” coach Schofield said. “Defensively, Presque Isle went into a 1-2-1 zone and that slowed us down offensively.”
“I think we stopped being aggressive at times in the second half,” Hudson said. “We have to play a full-court game, instead of just a half-court one. We don’t have the size for that. I think our guards did a real nice job pushing the ball the second half.”
Presque Isle 59, Fort Kent 53 — At Fort Kent Friday, Guerrette tossed in 18 points to lead Presque Isle to victory, and in doing so, the No. 1 seed in Eastern Maine Class B.
Kofstad added 10 points for the Wildcats, while Karlee Bernier had nine; Richards, seven; Megan Ireland five; Nickerson, four; and Johnston, Stewart and Coffin each with two.
For Fort Kent, senior Taylor Boucher of Fort Kent led all scorers with 27 points, including scoring her 1,000th career point. Brianna Thibodeau had 12 points and Sam Carapellucci chipped in 10 for Fort Kent.
Staff photo/Joseph Cyr
CHELSEA NICKERSON rips the ball away as Caribou’s Jamie Martin falls to floor during last Wednesday’s 46-35 Wildcat victory.
Staff photo/Joseph Cyr
LOOSE BALL – Presque Isle senior Krista Coffin tries to gain possession of the ball, while Caribou’s Alexa Massey and PI’s Karlee Bernier look on. The ‘Cats beat the Vikings last Wednesday, 46-35.
