Presque Isle eliminated by Nokomis
Sports Reporter
BANGOR – Despite being outrebounded by a 49-22 margin and shooting less than 30 percent from the foul line, the Presque Isle Wildcats still found themselves in position to sneak out a victory in last Wednesday’s Eastern Maine Class B semifinal game against Nokomis of Newport.
Chelsea Nickerson had a potential game-tying shot blocked by the Warriors’ Danielle Watson with 1:17 to play and with 19 seconds left, Karlee Bernier’s three-point attempt that could have given PI the lead was off the mark.
Nokomis’s Julie Smith and Mary Badeen both went 2 for 2 from the foul line over the final 10 seconds to give their team a 41-35 victory over the top-seeded Wildcats.
Presque Isle finished with an 18-2 overall record, while Nokomis advanced to Saturday’s EM championship game and went on to defeat Mount Desert Island, 37-22, for the title.
Wildcat coach Jeff Hudson said the game ultimately came down to rebounding and foul shooting, and his team struggled mightily in both areas.
“They dominated us rebounding,” Hudson said. “I thought their big kids played very tough. We knew their guards were very good, but we didn’t realize how tough (5-8 forward Marissa) Shaw and (5-10 center Danielle) Watson were.
“It’s disappointing to lose a game when you shoot 6 for 21 from the free throw line because we normally are such a good foul shooting team. There have been numerous games this year we have won because of our free throws,” he added. “I think when we started missing a few, it got in our heads a little.”
Nokomis started strong, utilizing its inside game to race out to a 13-4 lead late in the first quarter. Four of the Warriors’ first five field goals came following offensive rebounds, while PI was limited to hoops by Chandler Guerrette and Chelsea Nickerson during the first 7:15 of play.
“We knew we had a size advantage, so we were pounding it into our bigs,” said Nokomis’s Shaw, who scored a game-high 16 points to go along with 16 rebounds. “Offensive rebounding hasn’t been our strength, but tonight it was.”
The Wildcats refused to fold, however, and had a strong second quarter. The team used a 13-1 run which began late in the first period and lasted until midway through the second to take a three-point lead. Guerrette’s three-pointer which followed a Nokomis turnover gave PI its first lead with 4:10 to play. The freshman actually scored the Wildcats’ final nine points of the half as Presque Isle led 21-18 at intermission.
Nokomis regained control in the third by going back to how they started the game. Consecutive three-pointers by Kara Batchelder and Badeen were part of a 7-0 run that put the Warriors back in front, 25-23, with 3:35 left. Ålthough they stayed close, the Wildcats never led again.
“At halftime, we talked about keeping our composure and getting the ball into the paint and rebounding,” Shaw said.
The Warriors were up by six midway through the fourth before a Bernier three-pointer and a baseline layup by Nickerson cut Nokomis’s lead to 35-34 with 3:19 left. Presque Isle could muster only a Kayla Richards foul shot the rest of the way.
“A break here or there and we could have been Eastern Maine champs,” Hudson said. “When you get to that part of the tournament, there is such a fine line between winning and losing, and unfortunately we found that out the hard way.
“I was proud of how our team never quit during the game. Nokomis is a tough team to come back on due to their ball handling, but we showed a lot of toughness in giving ourselves a chance at the end.”
Guerrette scored 15 points, hitting all of her six field goal attempts, to lead Presque Isle. However, she went just 1 of 8 from the foul line.
Richards had seven points, six rebounds and four assists. The Big East Conference’s leading foul shooter also struggled from the stripe, going 3 of 8.
Watson had 10 points and 14 rebounds for Nokomis, who is playing in Class B after spending many years in the Class A ranks.
Staff photo/Kevin Sjoberg
CHELSEA NICKERSON throws up a shot attempt during PI’s tournament game Wednesday.
Staff photo/Kevin Sjoberg
CONTESTED – Sophomore point guard Kayla Richards attempts to get a shot off against Nokomis’s Mary Badeen during last Wednesday’s Eastern Maine Class B semifinal. The Wildcats were beaten, 41-35.
