WASHBURN, Maine — The visiting Wisdom Pioneers rolled to a pair of victories over Washburn Thursday evening as both the Beaver boys and girls squads fell.
Wisdom’s Carter Pelletier stayed on the offensive, leading the team with 31 points to carry Wisdom to a 83-52 victory over Washburn. The Washburn girls could not match the momentum of Wisdom, as the Beavers fell 56-14.
In the boys game, Washburn secured an early lead on a relatively even playing field. Both teams were scoring and playing very evenly, with Washburn having a small lead over Wisdom with 17-16 by the end of the first quarter. In the second, Wisdom managed to gain more momentum, which carried the team over Washburn, holding a small lead by halftime of 30-23.
Washburn’s Derek Cruz dribbles past Wisdom’s Camden Pelletier during a basketball game on Thursday. Wisdom won 83-52. (David DiMinno | The Star-Herald)
Heading into the third quarter, Wisdom kicked things into overdrive. The Pioneers shifted to a major offensive approach, netting the team an additional 27 points. Washburn also came out swinging with another 18, but it wasn’t enough to get ahead, ending the third quarter in Wisdom’s favor at 57-39.
By the third quarter, Wisdom had established a massive lead, which only grew in the fourth quarter. While Washburn added another 13 points to its score, Wisdom added another 26, ending the game with a Wisdom victory at 83-52.
Wisdom improved to 11-5 on the season and is currently ranked fourth in Class D North, while Washburn falls to 3-14 and is now 10th in Class D North.
For Washburn, Beckam Vaughn led the team with 20 points, followed by Derek Cruz with 16 and Mitch Turner with 10. Parker Corey added in an additional seven points.
For Wisdom, Carter Pelletier led the team with 31 points, followed by Dominick Gendreau with 27 and Camden Pelletier with seven. Connor Thamsen scored an additional six points and both Michael Roach and Sam Roy chipped in five.
“Washburn came out a different team than we had seen earlier,” said Wisdom boys varsity coach Dominique Rossignol. “They had a lot of energy and played very physically. They really made the beginning of the game uncomfortable, but we really responded after halftime and were able to hit the reset button to gather ourselves and get back to our game. I’m proud of the response we had after having a rough time early.”
Washburn’s Mitchell Turner makes a run for the basket while Wisdom’s Michael Roach keeps up pursuit during a basketball game on Thursday. Wisdom won 83-52. (David DiMinno | The Star-Herald)
Washburn’s Jaici Rosi-Carney looks for a teammate for a pass while Wisdom’s Kelsie Daigle tries to defend during a basketball game on Thursday. Wisdom won 56-14 (David DiMinno | The Star-Herald)
In the girls game, the Pioneers quickly established a lead, leaving Washburn in a slow start. By halftime, the Pioneers were ahead 27-2, showing no signs of slowing down.
Wisdom went on to score an additional 21 points in the third quarter, expanding their already large lead over Washburn, heading into the final quarter with 48-2.
In the final, Washburn really began to find its groove, improving on their scoring, communication and defense. However, timing wasn’t on the Beavers’ side, as their 14 points in the fourth couldn’t bridge the gap between them and the Pioneers. Wisdom won the day with a final score of 56-14.
Wisdom improved to 15-1 on the season and is currently ranked second in Class D North, while Washburn falls to 3-13 and is ranked 12th in Class D North.
For Washburn, Logan Curtis led the team with nine points, followed by Madelyn Johnston with three points and Hannah Scott with two.
For Wisdom, Abbie Lerman led the team with 23 points, followed by Lilly Roy with 19 and Ava Lerman with 12. Kylie Pelletier chipped in two.
