It is the last week of high school basketball games. Preliminary games for girls will be played on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at the higher-seeded gymnasium.
On Monday, the Houlton Lady Shires struggled early against Caribou’s 2-3 zone. Houlton led 12-10 to start the game, but fell behind by a point, 24-23, at intermission.
On Senior Night, it was befitting that senior Bre Longstaff carry the scoring for Houlton in the first half with 11 points. She took her shot early and played within her game to help her team.
“Bre is our best all-around shooter when teams play zone defenses,” said Houlton coach Shawn Graham. “I thought she shot the ball really well throughout the game.”
Longstaff finished the game with 16 points, going 7-of-12 from the field, as the Lady Shires eventually topped Caribou, 53-37.
Graham made a halftime adjustment that would lead to a second-half turnaround for Houlton.
“We decided to make an adjustment and go with a little smaller group with more quickness to try and change the pace to an up-tempo style,” explained Graham. “We went to a 1-2-2 half-court trap, which allowed us to get out in transition and beat their zone up the floor, forcing some turnovers.”
The Lady Shires went on a 13-4 scoring run for a 36-28 advantage at the end of the third.
“With Caribou content to sit back in the 2-3 zone and play a half-court game, we felt it was unfavorable to us in the long run,” Graham added. “The trap proved to be effective for us.”
Natalie Hill netted 15 points, grabbed five rebounds and had five assists, while Katie Condon came away with 10 points and six rebounds. Houlton outscored Caribou, 30-13 in second-half action.
Maddie Doucette led Caribou with 11 points and Bria Judd added eight more.
Last Saturday in Houlton, Condon was the premier player, recording a double-double, 17 points and 12 rebounds, but just as much a focal point was Longstaff who scored two free throws to give Houlton a lead they would not relinquish with less than a minute left in the game. Longstaff finished with eight points.
Condon and Longstaff combined for an 8-for-8 effort from the stripe in the final eight minutes, as Houlton defeated visiting Stearns, 31-27.
The game was tight with no more than just a few points separating the teams. At the end of the first, Houlton had a 10-5 advantage and at intermission, the Lady Shires were ahead, 14-13. The third period ended with a tie score, 19-all.
Jessica Girsa led Stearns with 10 points.
In East Millinocket last Thursday, the Lady Shires lost by one point, 35-34, giving up a 21-12 halftime lead.
Longstaff paced Houlton’s offense with 13 points, while Condon added 11.
Lexie Hoxie keyed Schenck with 16 points, while Morgan Thompson scored her 1,000th high school point and finished with 10 points.
Houlton led 10-4 to open the game and 21-12 at halftime. But, the Wolverines closed the gap in the third, 29-24.
