Older teams have good showing in finals
The three county YBOA girls basketball teams ended their season with all three teams playing in the finals of the Maine Open at the UMO recreation center.
The 13’s were the only team to win their division, but the 14 and 16-year-old teams gave a great showing.
The 13’s started their title run with a 47-43 win over the 14’s with Mariah Wiley hitting four 3-pointers and 16 total points, while teammate Rebecca McDougal tossed in nine.
In game two against the Jammers, the County jumped out to a 29-16 halftime lead and won easily, 51-32. Alexa Massey had 16 points and Katelyn Bubar put in 12. For game three, the County played the 14-year-old Fusion team and came up short, 48-39. Mariah Wiley ended with 14 points.
In the semifinals against the Twin City team, the County trailed 18-11 at halftime, but a strong defensive stand pushed the County into the championship with a 31-28 win. A balanced scoring attack made it difficult for Twin City to concentrate on one player, as Massey and Bubar each had six points, while Sydney Churchill and Marinna Cameron both added five.
In the championship game against the Midcoast Warriors, the County trailed 21-18 at the half but clutch foul shots by Tori Hanson and McDougal, as well as 3-point shooting from Churchill and Cameron, proved to be the difference. The County went on to claim the title 41-35. Kendra Stephens came up with some key rebounds at the end of the game, while Kristin Tarr had numerous assists.
The team was coached by Sonja Bubar with Sue Tarr keeping the Books. Also helping out with coaching this season were Brian and Shelley Massey. The team’s final record ended at 15-9.
The 14’s ran into trouble right off as the team played with only five players on Saturday. In game one against the County 13’s, the 14’s led 27-26 at the half, but fatigue set in as the 14’s fell 47-43. Danielle Tracy led the way with 11 points and Amanda Hotham added 10. Mallory Patton tossed in eight as well. In game two, the Fusion pounded the tired squad 55-28. Hotham and Tracy each hit for 11 points. The Midcoast Warriors held the County at bay and won 41-30 in game number three. Tracy led the way again with 14, with Hotham hitting for seven points and Patton adding an additional six. In the championship game against the Fusion, the undermanned County put up a great fight before falling 49-39. Tracy had 12, Hotham netted 10, Megan May contributed nine and Janelle Rockwell and Kim Levesque added four points apiece. Melissa Hotham came off the bench to give the team a break and played strong defense. The team ended their season at 13-10.
The 16’s had a great weekend come to a sudden stop in the championship game, losing to the Snowbears 48-44. A slow start and poor foul shooting did the team in. After trailing 28-16 at the half, the County tied the game up with 1:10 left on a shot b y Lauren McGary. After a basket by the Snowbears, the County missed two foul shots with 25 seconds left and, having to foul, gave the Snowbears the win. Olivia McNally contributed 10 points while Liz Goodall had nine. Martha McPartland put in seven. In game one, a 35-25 win over the Pink Panthers, Vanessa Sanderson tossed in nine and Liz Goodall and Emma Dionne had eight and six respectively. Game two was against the Snowbears, who defeated the County twice at the Harbor House shootout. The County came out fired up for revenge. Liz Goodall had 17 points with Sanderson tossing in 11 and six points each from Dugal and McNally. Broadway was victim number three in the round robin part of the tourney and the County pulled away in the second half for a 35-22 win. McNally and Dugal each had eight points, while Evangline and Liz Goodall each had six. In the semifinals, Broadway was the County’s victim again, falling 52-30. 3-point shooting was the key to victory as Sanderson connected for two and a total of 17 points. Liz Goodall and McPartland each hit one 3-pointer each, and Goodall ended up with 14 points. The win pushed the County into the championship against the Snowbears and a second place finish. The team’s final record ends at 13-11. The team was coached by Debbie Sanderson. Great job by all the girls this season in representing the County.
