PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Noah Yarema led the Presque Isle boys with 27 points that aided the Wildcats victory in a blow for blow 77-73 overtime win over MDI on Thursday. The MDI girls came out with effective offensive play, and defeated the Wildcats 58-48.
In the boys game, MDI established a 19-13 lead over the Wildcats by the end of the first quarter, but Presque Isle quickly regained the lead, securing a halftime score of 36-33. In another twist, MDI pulled ahead again in the third quarter, going into the fourth quarter at 48-44. The teams battled all the way to the finish, and the two teams were neck and neck, and the game could go either way. However, Presque Isle managed to rally, pulling ahead to a 65-62 lead.
As the final seconds wound down, victory seemed assured, but with a miniscule 1.3 second left on the clock, MDI’s AJ Lozano scored a three point shot, sending the game into overtime.
Presque Isle’s Sadie LaPointe sets herself to take a shot at the basket during a basketball game against MDI on Thursday. MDI won 58-48. (David DiMinno | The Star-Herald)
Overtime started with both teams on even footing, making even trades throughout the four-minute extra quarter. However, Xavier McAtee netted free throws that were enough to give the Wildcats the momentum they needed to keep the lead. With a final buzzer and an eruption from the crowd, the Wildcats fended off the Trojans 77-73.
Aside from Yarema, Xavier McAtee added to Presque Isle’s score with 21 and Malachi Cummings with 17. Jackson Maynard added another seven points, Jack Buck scored an additional three and Aiden Hanks chipped in two.
“Well it wasn’t pretty but we pulled it out in the end,” said Presque Isle boys varsity coach Terry Cummings. “I thought our guys, especially our veterans, really stepped up. We had three seniors and two juniors on the court and I was proud to see them step in the end. They know we need to make free throws and we didn’t shoot that well from the free throw line, but we did just enough to get the win.”
For MDI, Spencer Laurendeau led the team with 23 points, followed by Kadin Reed with 12, then AJ Lozano and Alex Gray with 10 points each. Charlie Parker scored an additional nine points, Joey Minutolo added in five and Evan Ankrom chipped in four.
“It was a great game,” said MDI boys varsity coach Justin Norwood. “It’s starting to become a ritual between MDI and Presque Isle that it’s always a close game regardless of the score. I was proud of my team, they gave a good effort, and I will say that I love competing against Presque Isle. They have really good kids, coaches are really great, and I feel like we can compete our butts off, and afterward we can shake hands and feel good about things.”
After this game, Presque Isle rises to an 8-5 record, while MDI falls to 2-11.
In the girls game, MDI held the lead by halftime with 23-18. Presque Isle was able to turn things around in the third quarter, setting up for a comeback with 35-34. However, it wasn’t quite enough, and the Wildcats could not hold onto their lead. With a final burst from MDI, the Trojans pulled ahead, ending the girls varsity game at 58-48.
Mollie Gray scored 20 points, Leah Carroll added six and Emily Carter scored five. Additionally, Elizabeth Jones scored four points and Elena Alderman chipped in two.
“We came up here to face a really tough team who beat us at our place a couple of weeks ago,” said MDI girls varsity coach Brent Barker. “I thought our kids battled really hard, and we had a pretty good lead for most of the game. They got a lead on us in the third quarter, but I think we did a really good job doing what we needed to do defensively, and in the end, we got enough shots to get a win out of it.”
For Presque Isle, Faith Sjoberg led the team with 13 points, followed by Rossalyn Buck with nine, and both Jorja Maynard and Anna Jandreau, who both scored eight points each. Sadie LaPointe added in another seven points, and Karlyn Gilmour chipped in three.
After this game, Presque Isle falls to a 9-5 record while MDI rises to a 10-4.
