By Jon Gulliver
Staff writer
Presque Isle 63, Caribou 33 — For the third time this season Presque Isle and Caribou matched up last Wednesday in a schoolboy basketball game. And for the third time the Wildcats topped the Vikings, 63-33, but this time it was for the right to advance to the quarterfinals of the Eastern Maine Tournament at the Bangor Auditorium.
Aroostook Republican photo/Jon Gulliver
The Vikings Chad Caverhill takes a baseline jumper over Presque Isle’s Wilder York during the preliminary round of the Class B basketball playoffs last Wednesday. Caribou, the 12th seed, fell to the fifth-seeded Wildcats.
The visiting Vikings, which entered the prelims as the No. 12 seed, started strong scoring the first two buckets to take a 4-0 lead. From that point on in the first quarter it was the Tyler Brooks and Matt Eager show for the Wildcats. The pair scored 19 points to only two more for Caribou in the quarter.
“Our big guys dominated inside on both ends of the floor,” said Presque Isle coach Terry Cummings. “They were very impressive.”
Brooks scored a game-high 22 points and Eager chipped in with 20.
Cummings also had praise for the defensive effort of his No. 5 ranked team.
Aroostook Republican photo/Jon Gulliver
Caribou’s Cody Herbert goes strong to the hoop against Presque Isle in a preliminary game last week. The Vikings lost the game and finish the season at 9-10.
“Our guards locked down on defense which made it so they could not execute their offense in the halfcourt,” he said. “Jonah Stephenson came off the bench and did a great job on Dayne Savage. Our defense really stepped up, which if you are going to win in Bangor, defense is a must.”
For Caribou, which finishes at 9-10, freshman Savage led the way with 10 points, Matt Milliard scored eight, Cody Herbert had 7 and Chad Caverhill added six.
Caribou only has two players who are seniors and plenty of firepower back for next season.
For the 14-5 Wildcats, Stephenson added nine points and Wilder York chipped in with six.
Washburn 75, Van Buren 46 — At Washburn Wednesday, the 17-2 Beavers outscored Van Buren 53-25 over the second and third quarters to advance on to the Bangor Auditorium
Jordan McLaughlin led the winners with 32 points and seven assists. Mitch Worcester finished with 19 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists and Chase Chandler added 12 points.
The Crusaders, 7-12, were led by Connor Lapierre with 13 points and Eric Laplante with 11 points.
Easton 60, Schenck 40 — The Easton boys basketball team earned a trip to the Bangor Auditorium by downing Schenck, 60-40, on Wednesday night at home.
Reid Clark, who recorded his 1,000 career-point, led a balanced scoring attack with 14 points.
The Bears, now 15-4, are the eighth seed in the tournament.
Central Aroostook 81, Fort Fairfield 42 — The No. 2 seed Panthers advanced to the Bangor Auditorium by downing Aroostook County rival Fort Fairfield (No. 15), 81-42, on Wednesday night in Mars Hill.
Central Aroostook, which upped their record to 17-2, previously beat the Tigers twice on the regular season by roughly the same margin.
Fort Fairfield finishes the year at 5-14.
