Lady Shires topple Dexter; advance to Bangor

By Gloria Austin
Staff Writer
    What many expected to be a close game didn’t turn out that way at Houlton’s Alumni Gymnasium last Tuesday.
    The No. 8 Houlton Lady Shires built an early lead erasing any doubt that they wouldn’t get another shot in Bangor, as they topped No. 9 Dexter, 49-34.
    “We built a little momentum early,” said Houlton coach Shawn Graham. “That always helps in terms of confidence. A lot of that credit goes out to our band and crowd for helping in terms of motivation.”
    The Lady Shires faced No. 1 Orono last night in the quarterfinal round of the Eastern Maine Tournament.
Pioneer Times photograph/Gloria Austin
REACHING — Houlton’s Sam Keegan reaches to get the ball against a Dexter player during last Tuesday’s play-off game. The Lady  Shires played No. 1 Orono in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.
    The Tigers held their only lead of the game, 5-3, at the 5:13 mark, as the Lady Shires held Dexter scoreless the rest of the quarter, taking a 12-5 first-quarter advantage when Houlton’s Marina Cameron sank a 3-pointer at the buzzer to end the opening period.
    “We had set a goal early in the game to concentrate on winning each quarter rather than thinking about the game itself,” said Graham. “I think that really fueled the defense.”
    The 1-2-2 zone Houlton executed forced Dexter to the perimeter.
    “We knew Jordyn Bell loved to dribble penetrate to either pull up for a short jumper or dish to the low post,” explained Graham. “Our number-one priority was to stop the dribble penetration.”
    The Lady Shires’ Makala Folsom, spelled by Alana Pratt, did just that, holding Bell to four points.
    “They frustrated her from start to finish,” Graham added.
    Adding to Dexter’s aggravation was solid help defense in the interior from Amanda Fogarty, Tori Hanson and Samantha Keegan, who stepped into passing lanes disrupting any chance that Dexter might find its groove.
    “They did a nice job communicating on defense,” said Graham. “We forced them to take some lower percentage shots around the perimeter.”
    Hanson keyed Houlton’s first-half effort with 12 points, as the Lady Shires took a 24-13 halftime advantage and were able to extend their lead over three quarters, 34-21.
    “Offensively, we were comfortable looking to go inside because of the matchups we had,” explained Graham. “That’s when Sam Keegan came up huge for us in the low post.”
    Keegan had a team-high 15 points in the game, but connected on two crucial 1-and-1 situations in the third.
    Another vital component in the game was Houlton’s accurate free throw shooting, which helped them put the game away. Fogarty, according to Graham, hit 10 straight free throws between the third and fourth quarters, while Marina Cameron (nine points and five assists) went a perfect 4-for-4 from the line in the final eight minutes. The Lady Shires were 21 of 28 from the line (75 percent) for the game, while Dexter was 5 for 16 (31 percent).
    In the fourth quarter, Folsom’s free throw pushed Houlton’s lead to 39-23 with 4:33 left in regulation. Dexter made a late run before Houlton sealed the game with deadly foul shooting.
    Dexter’s Lauren Crane finished with a game-high 22 points, including five 3-pointers.
    “She did hit some very tough shots for them,” said Graham. “But even then, they were contested and well beyond the 3-point arc.”