County youth hoop teams to play in states this weekend

    The three county YBOA teams played this weekend in tournaments downstate. Each team had its share of basketball games.
    The 13-year-old team competed in the Bob Messier Tourney held at the Orono YMCA and lost in the semi-finals to Gardiner, 43-31. Rebecca McDougal was 11 of 19 from the free throw line to lead with 13 points. The game was tied at the half and foul trouble was the downfall of the County as three players fouled out. Gardiner made their foul shots to win the game, but lost in the final against Sebasticook 37-35.
    In game one against the Lady Trojans, the County won easily, 64-11. McDougal’s 17, Alexa Massey and Katelyn Bubar’s 14 points were the high scores. Game two was a 45-26 win over Hermon and again, Bubar’s 16 and McDougal’s 13 led the way. In game three, the County came up agains the eventual champions, and at the half the County trailed 21-18. In the third period, the county was outscored 14-4 and any hopes of finishing the round robin in the top three were dashed. Sydney Churchill had four 3-pointers and 14 total points and was the only player in double figures. So, seeded fourth, the County puonded number five, Jonesport, 48-22. Massy put in 15 points and Bubar and McDougal each had eight points to put the County in the semis. Tori Hanson and Kendra Stephens were the weekend’s top rebounders, while Mariah Wiley and Marina Cameron led the team in assists with 21 each. Kristin Tarr played the other team’s best player on defense and did an outstanding job of shutting down their leading scorers. With a 3-2 record this weekend, the county’s overall record is 9-6.
    The 14 and 16-year-old County teams played in the Harbor House Tourney in Trenton and Southwest Harbor and both teams lost in the finals of their divisions.
    The 14’s lost their first game to Hermon 51-41. In a very rough game in which 50 fouls were called and 57 foul shots taken, with three county players fouling out and one ejected. Chelsea Nickerson’s 18 points led the County. In game two, the County pounded Ellsworth 78-34 with Rachael Grew throwing in five 3-pointers and ending up with 23 points. Nickerson also had 19, while Danielle Tracy, Amanda Hotham and Kayla Richards all tossed in eight each. Rockland was the next victim, losing 70-22. Pacing the County were Richards with 16, Grew with 11, Nickerson with 11 and Tracy with 10. With the win, the County got to play Hermon and this time came away with a 48-34 win. Hotham went 6 of 10 from the free throw line and ended as the leading scorer with 12 points. The team shot 14 of 18 from the charity stripe. The Mustangs were victim number four and fell to the County 43-30. All nine players scored, with no one scoring more than 9 points. The County met MDI in their North Division final and, playing their third straight game and fifth of the day, finally caught up with the County. A 10 p.m. start made for a long day as the County lost 51-25. Hotham’s eight points and seven by Casey Bonville led a tired bunch of girls. Brooke LaBelle and Amanda Fogarty set up the shooters all weekend, while Vicki McIntyre was the top rebounder. With four wins and two losses, the County’s overall record stands at 12-3.
    The 16’s played their half of the Harbor House in Southwest Harbor, and gave a great showing as well, losing in the finals of the Southern Division. The Lady Raiders gave the County all they wanted in game one, but came up short in overtime, 52-46. In overtime, Liz Goodall made 4 of 6 from the foul line, while Erin Dugal clinched the win with a key basket in the last 30 seconds. Vanessa Sanderson netted 15 points and Olivia McNally’s 23 led the way for the County. Game two, against George Stevens Academy, was a breeze for the County, with a 51-31 win. Topping the team were Sanderson with 15, Liz Goodall with 10 and Martha McPartland with eight. The Snowbears of Bangor proved why they were there as they rolled to a convincing 51-36 win. McNally ahd 15 points and Evangeline Goodall and twin sister Liz each had six.    
    Game number four was a rematch of game one, and once again the County came away with an exciting 46-38 win over the Raiders. McNally’s 12 points, Sanderson’s 10 and McPartland’s eight rallied the County to the win. In the finals of the South Division, the County, playing their fourth game of the day, had a late 11 p.m. start against the Snowbears. The Bears ate the County up 69-37. Vanessa Sanderson and Laruen McGary were the ones trying to keep the County in the game, but fatigue was an enemy. Emma Dionne was the leading rebounder before getting hurt in the semi-finals, thus hurting the County on the boards. With a 3-2 record for the weekend, it pushed their record to 8-6 for the season.
    All three teams will be competing in the states in Waterville this weekend.