Tucker, Altvater power SACS past Katahdin

By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
    There was no holiday break for girls basketball teams as local hoop squads stayed busy during the school vacation. The playoff picture is beginning to take shape, but there are still a lot of games left to be played between now and the end of the season.
    The Maine Principals’ Association Heal Point Standings for games played through Saturday are as follows:
    In Eastern Class C, Houlton (2-1) is 12th, while Dexter (7-0) is the top-ranked team. Only the top 11 squads make the postseason.
    In Eastern Class D, Hodgdon (4-0) is fifth, behind No. 1 Washburn (5-0). Deer Isle-Stonington (4-1) is second; Van Buren (4-2) is third and Limestone-MSSM (4-3) is fourth. Southern Aroostook (4-1) is ninth, while Greater Houlton Christian Academy (1-5) is 16th; Katahdin (1-5) is 17th; and East Grand (1-3) is 19th. Only the top 15 teams make the playoffs.
    The following is a recap of games played through Saturday.
    Houlton 40, Stearns 35 — At Millinocket Saturday, the Shires took an early first-quarter lead and never looked back. Marina Cameron scored 12 points, Natalie Hill added 11 and Katie Condon chipped in seven for Houlton.
    Taylor Pelkey topped Stearns (2-4) with 13 points, and Alex Mooney added 10.
    Houlton led 15-9, 22-12 and 34-25 at the quarter breaks. In the junior varsity game, Houlton won 56-28.
    Hodgdon 52, GHCA 37 — At Hodgdon Saturday, Jennah Steamer scored 16 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to lead the Hawks to the win. Lacey McQuarrie added 15 points and eight rebounds, while Haley Gardiner contributed 11 points and 17 rebounds. Mariah Wiley added eight points for Hodgdon.
    Rylee Warman led the way for Greater Houlton Christian Academy with 12 points. Olivia Lord added seven.
    Ashland 57, East Grand 36 — At Ashland Saturday, Caitlin Paradis tallied 15 points to lead the Hornets, while Marissa Chasse and Sophie Theriault each added 12 points.
    Elisha Farley paced East Grand of Danforth with 11 points and Allison McEwen provided seven points.
    Southern Aroostook 45, Katahdin 28 — At Dyer Brook Saturday, Jessica Tucker and Sable Altvater each 16 points to pace the Warriors. Megan Merry led Katahdin with 12 points and Ashley Randall netted eight.
    The two squads were tied 4-4 at the end of the first quarter, before SACS took a 23-11 halftime lead. The Warriors led 31-20 after three stanzas.
    Easton 57, GHCA 44 — At the University of Maine at Presque Isle Saturday, Easton used a strong second half to pull away from the Greater Houlton Christian Academy Eagles.
    The Bears were led by Hannah Ferris’ 12 points, while Carla Halvorson added 10.
    GHCA was led by Destinee Neureuther with 16 points, while Olivia Lord added 11.
    Easton led 15-13 in the first quarter, but the two teams were tied 27-27 at halftime. The Bears led 43-36 after three periods.