 |
| Staff Photo/Joseph Cyr LOOSE BALL — Alexis Bell (14) and Chelsey Pelkey (21) both go after a rebound for the Limestone-MSSM Eagles during Monday’s game against Washburn. |
By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
BANGOR — Do state titles come in threes? That is the question on the minds of the Washburn girls basketball team as the Beavers began their title defense in earnest Monday afternoon at the Bangor Auditorium.
The top-ranked, and two-time defending champion, Beavers (19-0 overall) rolled to a dominating 65-44 quarterfinal victory over No. 8 Limestone-Maine School of Science and Mathematics. The Eagles finish their season with a 12-8 record.
Washburn will now meet No. 5 Machias in the semifinals, 3:35 p.m. Thursday in Bangor. Machias upset No. 4 Fort Fairfield 53-49 in a game also played Monday in Bangor.
Washburn received balanced scoring with four players in double digits. Three players — Carsyn Koch, Carmen Bragg and Mackenzie Worcester — each tallied 13 points in the game. Koch also had 10 rebounds, two blocks, three steals and an assist, while Bragg added four rebounds, four assists and three steals and Worcester had six rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Nicole Olson contributed 10 points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal.
Melissa Cantafio led the Eagles with 10 points, three rebounds and an assist, while Chelsey Pelkey chipped in nine points, three rebounds and three assists. Alexis Bell added eight points seven rounds and a steal.
“Occasionally we will have a player or two who will step up their game and score a lot of points, but for the most part we have five or six people who can score which is a strength for us,” said first-year Beaver coach Diana Trams
The Beavers started the game hot, jumping to a 17-8 first quarter lead, but the Eagles were not about to go quietly, as they cut that lead to 31-23 by halftime.
Eagles coach Ryan O’Neal said he was impressed with how his team started the game.
“That was one of the better halves we have played against them (Washburn),” he said. “We knew if we did not give the ball away and control the ball as much as possible, we could have a chance.”
The Eagles had great success working the ball down low for the high percentage shot. And if the shot did not go, many times an Eagle player was there for the rebound.
“We really started stressing rebounds and that’s when we started winning bigger games,” O’Neal said.
Washburn changed things up in the second half and the results paid dividends.
“We were playing full-court man (defensively), and I told the girls at halftime that they needed to come out with a lot more intensity,” coach Trams said. “I thought switching up our defense a little bit helped create some turnovers. I also told them to be more patient on offense when we were in transition.”
If there was any pressure to defend their state title, it comes from within, the coach said.
“They put more pressure on themselves than anybody else,” she said. “They are very driven. I’m sure there are things we want to do better and we will be in the gym tomorrow (Tuesday) working on those things.”
