Local teams kick off hoop season

    In action on opening night, the Central Aroostook Panthers overtook visiting Katahdin, 67-57, but the Panthers had to work for their win.
    The defending Class D state champs came back from a four-point halftime deficit to take the win, as the Cougars led 31-27. The Panthers built a 47-40 third-period lead en route to the win.
    The Panthers’ Caleb Kelly led all scorers with 24 points, while Manny Martinez connected for 22.
Brandon Robinson’s 14 points paced a well-balanced Cougar scoring column, as Josh Guiggey, Lucas Craig and Evan McCarthy all added 10 points each.
    In the junior varsity game, Central Aroostook won, 53-45.
    At the University of Maine at Presque Isle, the Greater Houlton Christian Academy Eagles picked up a season-opening 41-33 win over Van Buren. The game was close throughout with GHCA trailing 16-15 at halftime. The Eagles went ahead 24-22 in the third, but GHCA freshman Micah Wiley put the game away in the fourth, scoring 11 of his 16 points. Chad Duff fired in a game-high 20 points for the Eagles.
    The Lubec Lady Hornets stung East Grand, 67-40 in the two teams’ opener at Danforth.
    Lubec’s Amanda Huntley and Shelby Searles combined to score 53 points — Huntley, 28 points and Searles 25 points.
    Lubec took a 14-10 first-quarter lead, extending it to 35-18 at halftime. In the second half, the Lady Hornets kept pulling away.
    Courtney Lloyd led East Grand with 16 points and nine rebounds, while Kelsey Daoust added 14 points and eight rebounds.
    At East Millinocket on Friday night, the Houlton Lady Shires jumped to an 18-5 first-quarter lead and
held on for a 49-35 victory.
    At halftime, the Lady Shires were ahead, 24-16, increasing their lead to 38-27 in the third. Desiree Dow led Houlton with 11 points, with Lainey Herring and Vanessa Sanderson dropping in eight points apiece.
    The Greater Houlton Chrisitan Academy Lady Eagles won their opener, 38-33 over visiting Van Buren at the University of Maine at Presque Isle.
    Kasi Parker poured in 12 of her game-high 18 points in the first half to spark Greater Houlton Christian Academy’s 17-point halftime lead, 24-7. The Lady Eagles maintained the 17-point lead in the third, 35-18 hanging on for the win, as they were outscored 15-3.
    The Lady Eagles’ Kari Brewer added eight points in the win.
OVER THE ‘D’ – Houlton’s James Bates confidently shoots over the outstretched hand of a  Madawaska defender during last Saturday night’s game in Houlton. The Shires won, 56-49.
    On Saturday, the Katahdin Lady Cougars turned a 17-15 halftime deficit into a 47-38 victory. The Lady Cougars led 34-30 after the third and outscored the Patriots, 13-8 in the fourth.
    Olivia McNally tossed in 17 of her game-high 26 points in the second half to carry the Lady Cougars to victory.
    The Lady Cougars defended their home court on Monday night, posting a 56-28 win over Ashland. The Katahdin girls led 25-12 at halftime, extending their lead to 41-22 in the third, outscoring the Hornets, 30-15 in those two quarters.
    McNally threw in a game-high 25 points, including 15 in the second half.
    In other action, the Lady Warriors outscored Limestone/MSSM 25-14 over the second and third quarters for a 49-28 victory.
    Liz Goodall fired in 19 points, with Brittany Charette hitting the scoring column with 11 more for SACS.
LAYUP – SACS senior guard Tyler Robinson takes the ball to the hoop by Hodgdon’s Jacob Tidd during Monday night’s game in Dyer Brook. The Warriors defeated Hodgdon, 65-55.
    At Easton, the Bears pulled away from the GHCA Eagles, 32-11 at halftime and never looked back for a 62-38 win.
    Duff led the Eagles with 12 points.