County freshmen girls state tourney runners-up

    The County freshmen girl’s basketball team finished as runners-up in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU)  State Tournament held in the Portland area last weekend.
    In their opening against the Maniacs, the County girls fell behind 17-4, only to come storming back to pull within 22-21 at halftime. In the second half of action, the County girls built a seven-point lead with four minutes to play. But, the Maniacs knotted the game with 20 seconds left.
    The game was tense down the stretch, as Mariah Wiley’s free throw gave the County girls a one-point advantage, the Maniacs answered with a hoop to retake the point lead with 14 seconds remaining. The County girls had the game’s last possession and they made good, as Marina Cameron took the ball the length of the floor, delivered a bounce pass to Rebecca McDougal for the game-winning basket, 46-45, as time expired.
    Pacing the County’s offense against the Maniacs were Kate Bubar with 11 points; McDougal with 10 points; Cameron, Wiley and Alex Massey, all with eight points each.
    In their next game, the County girls picked up a lopsided 52-13 win over MB Nation. All seven County girls scored, as they built a 36-5 halftime lead and coasted. Cameron was the County’s top scorer with 15 points, while McDougal and Massey each netted 10 points.
    With two wins, the County girls advanced to the championship game where they faced the Maniacs again.
    In their first meeting, both teams were whistled for 23 fouls apiece. And, the championship game proved no different, as the County racked up 30 fouls and had three players foul out of the game, while the Maniacs had 23 fouls and two players foul out.
    Neither team led by more than six points in the championship game, but a lack of making foul shots down the stretch by the County girls proved costly, as they fell to the Maniacs.
    Cameron led the County scoring with 16 points, while Wiley and Massey each tossed in eight points. Tori Hanson and McDougal finished with seven points apiece, while Sydney Churchill and Kristen Tarr played outstanding defense, according to coach Dave DeMerchant.
    “The team represented the County very well all season,” added DeMerchant.
    The County girls finished the year as YBOA and AAU state tournaments, with a final record of 13-9-2 against strong competition, DeMerchant said.