Sports Reporter
MARS HILL – The two teams had met Dec. 11 in Washburn, but the Beavers’ 32-31 victory over Central Aroostook was a distant memory. The host Panthers exacted revenge in a big way last Tuesday, bolting to a 10-2 lead within the first 3 minutes and 20 seconds of play, leading by 16 at intermission and coasting to a 42-20 triumph.
Twin sisters and senior starting guards Brianna and Chelsea Hartin of the Panthers had missed the first meeting between the two teams, but were back on the floor and made their presence felt early. “It’s nice having them out there,” said sophomore guard Rachel Grew. “They are a couple of players we can rely on.”
The Hartins, combined with the other three starters (Grew, classmate Vicki McIntyre and junior Kristen Long), allowed the Panthers to demonstrate excellent ball movement against the Washburn halfcourt zone defense.
Grew’s only basket of the game, a 14-foot jumper, clinched an offensive trip which saw every Panther in the lineup touch the ball at least once thanks to some crisp passing to the post and around the perimeter. The hoop gave CA a 10-2 advantage before the first quarter was half over.
After Rebecca Campbell and Angelita Hernandez made field goals for Washburn to cut the lead to 12-6, McIntyre netted two consecutive baskets and CA took control for the remainder of the game. Chelsea Hartin’s three-pointer with 43 seconds remaining in the opening quarter sprung the Panthers to a 19-6 lead, which grew to 28-12 at halftime.
Campbell, one of the best offensive players in Eastern Maine Class D, was limited to six points by the aggressive Central Aroostook defense.
“They outplayed us tonight,” said Washburn coach Mike Carlos. “They were better prepared against our pressure [defense] and they hit their outside shots,” he added. “We didn’t hit ours.”
Washburn split its other two games played last week and the team is now 4-4 overall. The Beavers fell to Southern Aroostook Saturday, 59-35, and beat Hodgdon Monday, 50-42, behind Campbell’s 21 points, including 13 of 18 from the line.
