By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
The 2013-14 varsity basketball regular season has only a few days remaining.
Most local squads entered the week with one or two games to play. Friday is the official end date of the regular season, with Saturday used as a make-up date in the event of inclement weather. The preliminary playoff round takes place next Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 11 and 12, with the Eastern Maine Tournament at the new Cross Insurance Center in Bangor set to begin Friday, Feb. 14.
Two teams in the area have a chance to complete undefeated seasons and go into the playoffs as the No. 1 seeds in their respective divisions.
The Easton boys moved to 17-0 following Monday’s win at Katahdin and a home victory against Washburn Thursday would most likely give coach Dillon Kingsbury’s Bears the top seed in EM Class D.
Hunter Turner scored 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds against the Cougars in Stacyville. Drew Sotomayor also had a solid effort with 16 points.
The Presque Isle girls have the same 17-0 mark entering their Thursday matchup at Caribou. The Class B Wildcats, who defeated John Bapst at the Cross Center Saturday for their most recent victory, have now won 61 consecutive games dating back to the beginning of the 2011-12 season.
In the win over the Crusaders, Krystal Kingsbury fired in 12 of her 16 points in the second half as PI was able to break open a close game in the late stages of the third quarter. Emily Lagerstrom hit four three-point field goals and had 15 points, while Hannah Graham had 11 points, including two threes, and Regan Nelson eight points for the winners.
The PI boys have used the recent dominant play of 6-8 senior center Bradley Shields to reach the .500 mark heading into Tuesday’s home game against Fort Kent.
The Wildcats still have an outside chance of finishing among the top eight and playing their prelim next Wednesday on their home floor, but would most likely need victories in their final two games for that opportunity.
Shields had 26 points, 15 rebounds and seven blocked shots in Saturday’s 59-44 win over John Bapst. Last Wednesday, he posted 22 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks in a three-point loss to undefeated Houlton.
The 15-2 Washburn boys took an 11-game winning streak and a No. 1 ranking in Class D into Tuesday’s game against Central Aroostook in Mars Hill. The Beavers were impressive in downing Southern Aroostook in Dyer Brook Saturday as Kenny Irving hit six threes and totaled a season-high 24 points to lead the offense.
The Beaver girls, also 15-2, are also red hot with a 10-game winning streak which has moved them up to fourth place in the division. Washburn hosts eighth-place Easton (12-5) in its finale tonight.
The Fort Fairfield girls beat Limestone-MSSM Saturday, 39-36, to grab third place in EM ‘D.’ Coach Larry Gardner’s team has a big game against No. 1 Van Buren tonight and a win could improve its standing.
The Ashland girls, under first-year coach Whitney Flint, secured a berth in the post-season thanks to Friday’s 40-39 win.
Marissa Chasse threw in a runner from the lane with three seconds left on the clock to complete the comeback. The Hornets had trailed by 10 points with six minutes to play, but fought back. Chasse had also hit a clutch three-pointer and a free throw as part of the late flurry.
Ashland moved into the No. 11 slot in the standings entering play Tuesday.
