Points still available to Shiretowners

    The Houlton Shiretowners faced a tough road schedule, which started last Tuesday in Caribou and ended in Lee on Saturday.
    The Shiretowners battled their way back against host Caribou, falling 46-41.
    “We didn’t play too bad this game,” said Houlton coach Mike Fogarty. “We had pretty good intensity on the defensive end, but we gave the ball back on a few occasions on unforced errors. We also gave them too many chances on the offensive boards.”
    Caribou opened the game with a 16-8 lead and kept Houlton at bay, 23-18 at intermission. It was a low-scoring third period, with Caribou holding a 31-24 advantage, as they held the Shiretowners off in the fourth quarter.
    Josh Beals finished with 14 points, while James Bates and Ryan Hill each had 13 points.
    Saturday in Lee, the Shiretowners stayed close to the Pandas, playing to an even 13-all in the first quarter, but falling a bit behind at halftime, 27-19. But, that was close as the Shires would get, as the Pandas used a third quarter 11-2 surge to extend their lead to 38-21 with four minutes left in the period en route to the win.
    “They just beat us … pure and simple,” said Fogarty. “We shot around 28 percent from the field and we gave up 23 offensive boards. We will not win many games with those types of statistics.”
    Three Shiretowners combined for double-figure scoring, Bates led the team with 19 points, while Beals scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds and Hill chipped in with 13 points and six rebounds.
    Out of the Lee game, the Shiretowners recognize they need to work harder on the boards, since a majority of Lee’s points came from second chances, said Fogarty.
    “We must maintain our intensity and focus for the entire game,” he added. “We had our chances with Caribou, but did not take advantage of them.”
    The Shiretowners played Stearns last night and will face a tough Schenck club tomorrow in East Millinocket, finishing the week with Calais at home on Saturday.
    “I believe tonight’s game [Tuesday] is critical to how we handle this adversity,” Fogarty said.
    The Shiretowners have put three players into double figures the last few games.
    “If we can continue spreading the offense, we should remain competitive,” Fogarty said. “We have a couple of players that are ready for a break-out game, which will help our confidence. It is tough for teams to key on one or two of our players when we have others that can step up.”
    The Shiretowners’ schedule doesn’t get any easier, but its laden with points.