Lady Hawks Class D runners-up

By Gloria Austin
Staff Writer
    The Washburn Beavers neutralized Hodgdon’s offensive threats in Mariah Wiley and Jennah Steamer to collect their second Eastern Maine Class D title in as many years, with a 68-44 victory last Saturday morning at the Bangor Auditorium.
    The Lady Hawks rode into the tournament as the dark horse in the No. 7 spot, but rose to the top of the contenders with belief in themselves under the team’s mantra “Never Give Up.”
    “I thought we played a good first quarter,” said Hodgdon coach Vaughn Farrar. “After that, I think the constant pressure and speed of Washburn maybe got into our heads. We had some turnovers that we shouldn’t have had, but constant pressure will do that.”
Pioneer Times photograph/Gloria Austin
RUNNERS-UP — Hodgdon Lady Hawks seniors, Sara Fitzpatrick and Kim Levesque hold the Eastern Maine Runner-up plaque above their heads, while teammates Lacey McQuarrie, No. 32 and Mariah Wiley look on.
    Steamer and Lacey McQuarrie both finished with 12 points, while Haley Gardiner scored 11.
    The Lady Hawks fought to stay within four points of Washburn through the first quarter, but the Lady Beavers ran off six unanswered points for a 14-4 advantage with 4:02 left in the first.
    Hodgdon’s McQuarrie went from one end to the other for a layup to cut the lead to 16-12 with 1:31 left in the opening stanza. Haley Gardiner and Wiley kept Hodgdon at the same margin at halftime, 20-16, as each player hit two free throws.
    In the second, Steamer picked up her third personal foul for Hodgdon, which took its toll coupled with Washburn’s quickness and intense defensive pressure, as Washburn outscored Hodgdon 15-4 in the second quarter for a 35-20 halftime cushion.
    Washburn pushed its lead to 20 points, 40-20, at 5:26 in the third quarter and the game was out of reach for Hodgdon.
    “We just couldn’t recover,” said Farrar. “They have a lot of talent and their energy never stops. They are just a very, very good team.”
    Farrar realizes this year’s tourney play is an valuable step toward the future, as the experience of the Bangor Auditorium will only help the team.
    “We were elated to be in the finals,” he said. “Especially since none of the girls ever played there [in the Auditorium] before. I am proud of these girls. They gave everything they had to the final buzzer.”
    Farrar expressed his thanks to the fans waiting for the team and the motorcade waiting in town when they arrived home to the reception on Monday.
    “The future for this group is waiting,” he said. “Now, they have some experience in Bangor and actually know what it is all about to make it to the tournament. I think that in itself will give them great confidence in what they can accomplish.”