Katahdin edges Hodgdon; Lady Hawks learning

    The Hodgdon Lady Hawks went 2-2 on the week to open the season.
    On Monday, the Lady Hawks and visiting Katahdin girls battled through four periods of play, as the Lady Cougars hung on for a 51-45 victory.
    Katahdin led 14-12 to start the game, but the Lady Hawks put together a better second period to hold a 26-23 halftime advantage. In the third, the Lady Cougars regained the lead, 37-34 and held on for the win.
    Olivia McNally carried Katahdin, scoring five of her 16 points in the decisive final period, while Jalisa Moore finished with 12 points and Melissa Duffy 11 more.
    For Hodgdon, Katie Duff netted 11 points and Jillian London grabbed 11 rebounds and Taylor Hovey had four steals.
    The Lady Cougars are 3-1 on the season.
    In their opener, the Lady Hawks were downed by host Washburn, 48-27.
    The game was close in the first half with Washburn leading 17-12 at intermission. Then, the Beavers broke the game open in the third, outscoring Hodgdon 14-8.
    “It was a learning experience for us because we did not take care of the ball like we should have, which led to too many turnovers,” said Hodgdon coach Olin Quint. “We missed nine of 11 free throws, as well.”
    According to Quint, the Beavers blocked the Lady Hawks from getting into an uptempo game, which they like to play. Washburn’s big girl in the middle, Rachel Palmer, was held to eight points by London, who Quint said, “played excellent defense.”
    Chelsea Sloat led Hodgdon’s scoring with 12 points, while London pulled down 12 boards.     Washburn was led by their exceptional sophomores Rebecca Campbell, who had 20 points and Megan Saucier with 12.
    Against East Grand, the Lady Hawks dominated, 60-29.
     “This game we changed our starting lineup to try to increase the tempo to where we are comfortable playing,” said Quint.
    The Hodgdon girls came out quick in the first quarter with London exploiting her height advantage, said Quint.
    Leading, 17-8, the Lady Hawks extended their defense and held the Lady Vikes to two second-quarter points.
    “The girls came out of the locker room and put this game away in the third,” Quint said. “We slowed the tempo of game in the fourth quarter.”
    The Lady hawks were led by London with 12 points and eight rebounds. Duff, Sloat and Whitney Wallace scored eight points apiece.
    The Lady Vikings were led in scoring by Kelsey Daoust with 14 points and Nikki Tuck with eight.     “I am proud of how the girls cut down on the amount of careless turnovers to just nine and our defense made them turn it over 30 times,” Quint said.
    The Lady Hawks, in their third game in three days, edged visiting Greater Houlton Christian Academy, 42-38 last Thursday.
SURROUNDED – Hodgdon’s Jillian London grabs a rebound and is surrounded by Katahdin’s Kali Rush and Olivia McNally during Monday’s game in Hodgdon. The Lady Cougars hung on for the 51-45 victory.
    “Before the game, we decided that the only way to win this one was to control their top scorer Kasi Parker and turn up the pressure on our press to make it hard for them to get the ball over half court,” said Quint.
    London and Hovey led the Lady Hawks to a 17-12 halftime lead, but the Lady Eagles stormed out in the third, outscoring Hodgdon 17-11 to take a 29 -28 lead.
    In the final period, the score stayed close until Hodgdon’s Destiny Ellis made a key steal and seniors Duff and Hovey took over the game in the closing minutes.
    Duff scored 10 points and pulled down eight rebounds, holding GHCA’s Parker to just 11 points. Hovey finished with 17 points and five steals.
    Kari Brewer had nine points and Selena Michaud added eight for the Lady Eagles.
    “This was a big win for us,” said Quint. “The girls played smart and only had 12 turnovers and our defense made them turn the ball over 28 times.”