Lady Shires nip Hodgdon in Monday game

By Gloria Austin
Staff Writer
    It was a methodical-type game in Hodgdon on Monday with Houlton capitalizing on its defensive pressure to take a 39-34 win away from the Lady Hawks.
    “Defensively, our goal was to limit [Mariah] Wiley in the scoring department. I felt we did a good job containing her (3 points) and forcing lots of contested shots,” said Houlton coach Shawn Graham. “On the other hand, [Lacey] McQuarrie got away from us a bit throughout the game with some nice drives to the hoop, along with some great passes to her teammates down low. [Jennah] Steamer beat us a bit on the weak side with some put backs, as well.”
Houlton Pioneer Times photograph/Gloria Austin
SPINS — Hodgdon’s Jennah Steamer spins around Houlton defender Tori Hanson in Monday’s game in Hodgdon.
    The Lady Hawks held a slim 6-2 lead midway through the first period, but the score was tied at halftime. In the third, the teams played evenly with the score still tied at the 1:46 mark of the third, 22-all. The Lady Hawks took a brief 26-24 advantage, but Houlton tied the game at the end of the third.
    “We are now in the realm that we can match up and play solid defense,” said Hodgdon coach Vaughn Farrar. “We have tried a lot of different things this year defensively and I think those trials and errors have really helped us mature.”
    The Lady Shires spread the score to 32-28 midway through the fourth quarter, as they turned up their defensive intensity.
    “I was pleased with our half-court trap in the second half,” Graham said. “I felt it created some uncertainty with Hodgdon’s offensive set and we were able to create a few turnovers in crucial situations in the fourth quarter.”
    As the Lady Hawks continued to adjust, they were able to pull to within a basket with 1:44 left in the game.
    ‘We thought we could match up with Houlton,” explained Farrar. “Just a couple of bad passes in critical situations in the fourth quarter was all it took.”
    The Lady Hawks also put in an outstanding defensive effort, denying the ball and causing Houlton to make a change offensively.
    “They did a tremendous job chasing Amanda [Fogarty] and Marina [Cameron] and made it very difficult to put points on the board,” Graham noted. “The second half, we tried to spread the floor a bit in hopes of opening the middle up with some drives and cuts to the basket. I think it was somewhat successful, as we were able to score a little more.”
    The Lady Hawks had their scoring chances with under a minute to play.
    “We had some good looks and open shots, but they just wouldn’t fall,” said Farrar.
    “Offensively, I think both teams struggled at times due to our familiarity with each other,” explained Graham. “We tend to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and therefore it can be difficult to run certain set offenses.”
Houlton Pioneer Times photograph/Gloria Austin
GOING UP — Houlton’s Sam Keegan, No. 24, gets ready to take the ball to the hoop, as Hodgdon defenders Haley Gardiner, No. 40 and Sara Fitzpatrick attempt to move in on the action.
    The Lady Hawks are now on a 10-day layoff and await to see if they get a home playoff game.
    “Houlton was a great match up for us to see if we are ready for a playoff,” said Farrar. “They are a great team and well coached.”
    The Lady Shires will be in action Friday at home to Madawaska at 7 p.m. and will finish at Caribou on Monday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m., with their last game and Senior Night on Feb. 9 when they host Mattanawcook Academy.
    “Overall, it was a great rivalry game with lots of intensity and both teams played with a tremendous amount of energy,” Graham said. “Neither team really backed down and fortunately we made a few key foul shots at the end.
    “Hodgdon has proven that they will be a contender in the Class D tournament with wins over Van Buren, an overtime loss to Fort Fairfield, two close games with CAHS, and the game with us last night. They very well could be a dark horse and I wouldn’t want to play them in the first round,” added Graham.