AUGUSTA — A new team reigns supreme in Class D girls basketball.
On the strength of Halle Pelletier’s 23 points and 12 rebounds, Greenville edged two-time defending state champion Southern Aroostook 42-38 on Saturday afternoon at the Augusta Civic Center.
It’s the first title for the Lakers (20-2) since 1985. The Warriors finish the season with a 21-1 record. The game was a rematch of last year’s Class D title game, which Southern Aroostook won 55-30.
Southern Aroostook’s Kacy Daggett plays defense on Greenville’s Halle Pellettier during the Class D state championship game on Saturday at the Augusta Civic Center. Kennebec Journal photo by Joe Phelan Buy this Photo
“(The win) means everything, we worked so hard to get here,” Pelletier said. “To be here and win the last game was the entire goal of the season. It just feels awesome.”
“It’s a pinch-me moment,” Greenville head coach Maren Mason said. “We’re really here right now. This is what it’s all about. The long season, the two to three hour practices. It’s been all worth it.”
Down 32-29 at the start of the fourth quarter, the Lakers managed to outscore the Warriors 15-6 in the period, led by Pelletier’s seven points. The Lakers proved tough on defense in the quarter as well, forcing six turnovers out of Southern Aroostook.
Mason tried to keep her players focused on the bench during timeouts in the fourth quarter.
“(I told them) just to play calm,” Mason said. “To keep their heads, to continue to do what they were doing. They were playing great defense, they were beating the ball pressure. The biggest (key) was having to rebound defensively and putting the ball in the net offensively. We were able to do it today.”
“We just kept saying ‘We’re not tired, we’re not tired,'” Pelletier said. “Because I was really tired. But we were just saying to ourselves ‘We’re not tired until that final buzzer rings.'”
The Warriors jumped out to a 13-8 lead over the Lakers in the first quarter. But Pelletier took over in the second quarter, scoring 10 points in the period alone, and Southern Aroostook entered halftime with a 22-21 lead.
Both teams fought back-and-forth in the third quarter — with six lead changes — before the Lakers took over and put the game away in the fourth quarter.
Morgan Noyes scored seven points for Greenville, while Tiegan Murray and Bianca Breton each added five points. Murray had seven rebounds for the Lakers.
Madison Russell and Cami Shields each scored eight points for Southern Aroostook, while Kacy Daggett had six points and six rebounds.
Dave Dyer – 621-5640
ddyer@centralmaine.com
Twitter: @Dave_Dyer
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