EASTON, Maine – Kassie Lovely sparked the Easton girls’ varsity basketball team with 16 points in the first half to keep the Lady Bears within eight at halftime but Southern Aroostook pulled away early in the third en route to a 53-31 win Saturday.
The Lady Warriors went to a full-court press in the first half, creating nine turnovers, but Lovely helped to bring the Lady Bears back from a 19-7 deficit from the point-guard position, keeping the ball herself and getting inside penetration along with offensive rebounds and put-backs.
She capped a 13-9 second half run for Easton with two consecutive steals in the back court and fast-break finishes to keep the team within eight.
Southern Aroostook stayed with the press in the second half, denying the inside. Easton tried to force the issue but the Lady Warriors stayed out of foul trouble and forwards Kaylea Collier and Erin Caswell got position for the boards.
The pair also took over offensively with Collier putting up three three-pointers and Caswell getting the job done in the middle putting up four layups and adding six points from the free throw line.
Collier and Caswell led Southern Aroostook with 14 points each. Caswell added five rebounds and Collier pulled down four. Newcomer Elizabeth Goodall added nine points.
Lovely led the Lady Bears with 25 points and five rebounds while Briana White led the team defensively with eight boards, four steals and one blocked shot. Kendra Conroy and Taylor Burtt rounded out Easton scoring with four and two points, respectively. The Bears outrebounded their opponents 25-24 but fall to 1-6 on the season.
The Lady Bears also got a surprise visit from alumnus Nina Alexander, who played from 2001-2005 and is the only basketball player in school history to score 1,000 points. She was recognized between the boys’ and girls’ games.
