PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The Presque Isle girls basketball team beat Houlton 53-40 on Tuesday night, in a resurgent performance only days after a disappointing loss to Old Town in its season opener on Saturday.
Presque Isle led Houlton for the vast majority of the game, often by double digits.
But Houlton started reasonably strong in the first quarter, keeping Presque Isle to a four-point lead on the back of two successful three-point shots by Houlton sophomore Olivia Henderson. Presque Isle ended that quarter with a 15-11 lead.
Presque Isle ramped up its offensive production in the second quarter, scoring 19 points while keeping Houlton to just 11. Helped by three-point shots from three different players, Presque Isle went into halftime leading by 8 and seemingly in control.
Presque Isle increased its lead in the third quarter as its defense was able to keep a lid on a potential comeback. The team held Houlton to only eight points through the quarter.
The game remained mostly static through the fourth, which featured an impressive performance from Presque Isle freshman Anna Jandreau on free-throws. She ended up making four out of four baskets for six on the night.
Helped by her performance on the free-throw line, Jandreau was the top scorer of the night, with 14 points, including two 3-pointers. Presque Isle sophomore Faith Sjoberg (12 points) and senior Maggie Castonguay (11) also had big nights.
Houlton sophomore Olivia Henderson was the only player on her team with more than 10 points. She had 12 points total, all from four three-point shots.
The bleachers of Presque Isle High School’s gym were well-occupied on both sides, though they were less filled than the season opener on Saturday.
Presque Isle Coach Jeff Hudson was an active presence throughout the game, shouting the names of players and basketball maneuvers. Though sometimes doing the same, Houlton Coach Shawn Graham was comparably stoic.
Hudson said he was happy with the performance of his team, saying it had greatly improved since its loss against Old Town on Saturday.
“I saw a lot better intensity. I thought we were tougher,” Hudson said. “We looked like a good basketball team at times today.”
Sjoberg said she was especially proud of how she and the team played offensively. She felt her team had shown “more energy” than in its loss against Old Town.
“It was a big win for us,” Sjoberg said. “When we are shooting well, there is really no team that can stop us.”
The next Presque Isle girl’s basketball game will be against Waterville at Presque Isle High School at 3 p.m. on Dec. 14.
