Hodgdon girls outlast SACS, 39-34 in opener

By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
    BANGOR — It was the type of knock down, drag out fight that both coaches expected when No. 7 Hodgdon squared off against No. 15 Southern Aroostook Monday in an Eastern Class D girls quarterfinal.
    After all, the two teams had already met twice during the regular season, and although Hodgdon was victorious in those games, they were hard fought battles nonetheless.
    Hodgdon received a 19-point effort from junior guard Mariah Wiley as the Hawks edged Southern Aroostook, 39-34, in the quarterfinals.
    With the win, the Hawks (13-7 overall) advance to Thursday’s semifinal round, where they will face No. 3 Central Aroostook (16-4) at 7:05 p.m. Hodgdon fell to CAHS, 48-38 and 50-45, during the regular season.
Pioneer Times photograph/Joseph Cyr
DEFENSE — Southern Aroostook’s Olivia Raymond looks to pass the ball against tight defense by Sara Fitzpatrick of Hodgdon.
    Hodgdon coach Vaughn Farrar said he hopes the third time will be the charm to beating Central Aroostook when the two teams meet Thursday in the semifinals.
    “We know we can play with them for three quarters, but in both games, it was the fourth quarter that did us in,” he said. “Between now and Thursday, we will try to find a way to contain (Vicky) McIntyre.
    Farrar added he was extremely proud of the effort his girls gave on the floor; especially considering how inexperienced the team is when it comes to playing in Bangor.
    “We have no kids who have ever been here for a game, so to win our first game is really very cool,” he said.
    SACS coach Harris Tucker said he was hoping his team had another upset in them, after beating No. 2 Fort Fairfield in the preliminary round.
    “I knew our girls had it in them,” he said. “They are a team that never gives up and always gives everything they have. I am very proud of them.”
    Trailing 34-33 with 1:45 to play, Hodgdon looked to its leading scorer (Wiley) twice in the final moments of the game, and both times she delivered. Wiley hit a short jumper with 1:23 to play, giving Hodgdon a 35-33 lead. Teammate Jenna Steamer scored on an offensive putback, giving Hodgdon a 37-34 lead before Wiley converted a pair of free throws with 25.8 seconds remaining for the decisive 39-34 lead. Wiley said the foul shots were arguably the biggest of the season, thus far.
    “You have to do it for your team and with the atmosphere here at Bangor, it’s tough to hit those (free throws),” Wiley said. “Southern Aroostook has been playing well after beating Fort Fairfield, so we knew we would have to come out strong. Our press and man (defense) really helped us today.”
    “Mariah had been sick the last few days, so I wasn’t sure if she was going to have her legs under her,” Farrar said. “She is a tremendous shooter.”
    Neither team was especially sharp to start the game, as the two squads mustered just five points each in the first quarter.
    The scoring picked up in the second period as Southern Aroostook received scoring from a variety of players, staking a 13-9 lead. But as was the case for most of the day, the Hawks answered the call with a 6-0 run thanks to shots from Maya Gardiner and Steamer, along with a pair of Haley Gardiner free throws to tie the game 15-15.
    With Hodgdon pressing defensively, the Warriors drew three fouls on the Hawks in the final 36 seconds, with Jessica Tucker and Kristen Tarr converting all six attempts to give SACS a 19-15 halftime lead.
    “We had to change things up at halftime because we saw our press wasn’t bothering them,” Farrar said. “But our man-to-man was (bothering SACS) so we went to that more in the second half and it worked.”
    “They (Hodgdon) knew that the press could bother us and it did today,” Tucker said.
    The third quarter belonged to Wiley, as she opened the frame with a 3-pointer, added a pair of free throws and scored on a six-foot jumper to tie the game at 22-all. The Hawks were able to carry a 26-24 lead into the final period.
    In the fourth quarter, the lead changed hands four times before the Hawks took the lead for good with 1:45 to play.