Lady Shires top standings; boys competitive

Pioneer Times photograph/Gloria Austin
REBOUND — Houlton senior Taylor Bailey grabs a rebound during last Saturday’s game against Stearns. The Lady Shires pulled out the win, 42-34.  In the background is Houlton’s Sam Keegan.
By Gloria Austin
Staff Writer
    The Houlton Lady Shires are still atop the Class C girls Heal Point standings with a 7-1 record. The Lady Shires picked up back-to-back wins over Stearns and Madawaska, but suffered their first loss to Class B Caribou.
    Last Saturday at home, the Lady Shires escaped visiting Stearns, 42-34.
    The Houlton girls built a 16-6 opening lead and held a 23-9 halftime advantage. But, the Lady Shires were outscored 14-5, in the third, as Stearns cut the lead to 28-23 keeping the game close through the fourth.
    “We had lots of energy in the first half, and I think the halftime itself took the momentum from us,” said Houlton coach Shawn Graham. “There were a combination of things. I think fatigue set in from having to play Madawaska the night before, and credit Stearns, they made good adjustments in the third period where they were able to get the ball inside. We also went through a cold stretch where we couldn’t buy a hoop.”
    Graham said early in the fourth, the Houlton girls got their legs back for the first four minutes.
    “But, then again, we appeared tired,” he said. “So, I took the air out of the ball and forced them to foul. The kids did what they had to do by making free throws to ice it.”
    Taylor Bailey led Houlton’s offense with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Amanda Fogarty scored 16 and Marina Cameron tossed in 10 for Houlton.
    On Friday, the Lady Shires faced a determined Owl team in Madawaska. The game opened with a 13-all tie and Madawaska took a 22-21 halftime advantage. In the third, the Owls nursed a 32-28 lead.
    Graham said his team trailed throughout the game until about three minutes to go when the teams swapped baskets and lead changes. With two minutes left, the Lady Shires held a one-point advantage and were in the double bonus.
    “We went to our delay offense and made our foul shots,” Graham said. Fogarty went 4-for-4 from the stripe with under a minute and a half to play.
    The Houlton girls pulled out a 42-37 victory.
    Bailey tallied 10 points and 12 rebounds. Cameron hit three 3-pointers for 19 points. Fogarty and Sam Keegan each had six points apiece.
    The Lady Shires nearly overtook host Caribou last Tuesday, but instead suffered their first loss of the season, 45-40.
    The Houlton girls led 9-5 to start the game, but Caribou used an 8-0 run to end the second quarter to take a 22-14 halftime advantage. After the third, the Vikings had a 31-18 lead.
    Fogarty scored a game-high 18 points for Houlton, while Bailey tossed in 10 points.
    In the junior varsity game, Caribou won, 44-36.
Shires becoming more competitive
    The Houlton Shiretowners are gaining ground in their ability to compete, even though they haven’t put a lot of wins in the column.
Pioneer Times photograph/Gloria Austin
GETTING A STEP — Houlton’s Marina Cameron tries to get a step on the Stearns defender as she comes down the court during last Saturday night’s game.
    On Saturday, the Shires allowed visiting Madawaska to score 20 first-quarter points, as Houlton coach Mike Fogarty said they “hit the boards pretty hard.”
    “We allowed too many second-chance opportunities,” he added. “With a team that is that strong, you have to limit them to one shot.”
    In these teams’ first meeting, Houlton was defeated 85-51 by Madawaska, but in Saturday’s game they had cut that down by 37 points, losing 48-30.
    “We did a nice job in changing our defenses, which really helped control the tempo of the game,” Fogarty said. “We had several unforced turnovers that, in my opinion, was the difference in the game.”
    The Shires were able to get the looks they wanted, but at times, were unable to knock them down.
    “I am pleased with our progress on both the offensive and defensive end, even though it will not show up in the Heal Points,” Fogarty said. “Ever since the Schenck game [Dec. 27], we seem to be competing and working harder than we did the first few games of the season. We are getting close in these games and the boys are starting to feel that as well.”
    The Shires are 1-6 on the season.
    “We are a third of the way through our season,” Fogarty said. “There is still a lot of basketball left on our schedule.”
    Last Wednesday, the Shiretowners fell to host Caribou, 48-34.
    The Vikings (6-1) staked a 15-6 opening lead and extended it to 28-14 at intermission. After three, Caribou maintained their lead, 40-24.
    Nick Guiod paced Houlton (1-6) with eight points, while Micah Goetsch and Dan Swallow each had six points and Zach Harvey added five.
    In the junior varsity game, Houlton won 70-49.