PCHS girls’ season ends in East C semifinal

By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer

    BANGOR — After coming close in recent years, the Houlton High School girls basketball team has finally cleared the hurdle of making it to a regional championship.
    No. 2 Houlton (18-2) used a strong second-half surge to overpower No. 3 Piscataquis Community 45-29 on Feb. 20 in an Eastern Class C semifinal at the Cross Insurance Center.
    The Pirates end their season with a 15-5 record.

BDN photo/Linda Coan O’Kresik

    SPEED STOP — Piscataquis Community High School’s Erin Speed, right, saves a ball from going out of bounds during their Class C semifinal basketball game on Friday at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. At left is Houlton’s Natalie Hill.

    For Houlton coach Shawn Graham, getting to the championship game has been tough going as the Shires have fallen in the semifinals twice in the past few years.
    “Our first two showings [in the semifinals] were not that good, so the third time proved to be the charm,” he said.
    The Shires had a balanced scoring attack as junior Natalie Hill scored 11 points (six in the first half) and grabbed seven rebounds, earning her Darling’s/BDN Player of the Game honors. Houlton freshman Kolleen Bouchard chipped in 13 points, three steals and two blocks, while junior Katie Condon added nine points and 10 rebounds.
    Friday’s game was the second time this year that Houlton and PCHS met on the hardwood. The two squads squared off in the Penobscot Valley Conference Championship — a game Houlton won 51-35.
    Graham hoped his squad would be able to push the ball in hopes of tiring out PCHS while staying out of foul trouble. The Shires were able to do that for the most part early as Houlton jumped to a quick 12-5 lead in the first four minutes as five different players scored.
    PCHS rallied back to take a 15-14 lead with 6:03 to play in the second quarter, but could not sustain that momentum as Houlton regained the lead and took a 12-10 advantage into the halftime break.
    Houlton shot 14 of 40 from the floor (35 percent), while the Pirates were 12 of 44 (27 percent) from the floor.
    PCHS coach Brian Gaw was hoping his squad would be able to slow down the fast-breaking Shires, while working the ball into the hands of 6-foot, 3-inch junior center Delani Bennett in the low post.
    That game plan did not work out as he anticipated as Bennett struggled with foul trouble throughout the game, eventually fouling out with 2:50 to play. The Pirates did not score again as Houlton was able to move the ball effectively around the perimeter, while chewing precious seconds off the clock.
    Bennett finished the game with nine points and nine rebounds to lead the Pirates. Senior Alex Speed added eight points and junior Haylee Patterson chipped in with five points and five rebounds.
    “I thought a couple of the fouls were tough,” Gaw said of Bennett’s foul troubles. “It was a bit of wrong place, wrong time. She hasn’t been in foul trouble to that extent all year, but things happen down here that don’t during the regular season.”
    Gaw said the difference in the game was the ability of Houlton’s starting five to distribute the ball evenly, with all five starters getting into the scoring action.
    “They made some shots early on to get the lead, while we missed some open layups,” he said. “We had a just to get momentum, but the shots just didn’t fall.”