Hermon pulls away from the Ponies in the fourth quarter

DOVER-FOXCROFT — After coming back from a 19-point deficit in the second quarter and trailing by 15 to start the third, the Foxcroft girls were able to tie the score at 39 points apiece early in the final eight minutes of a Dec. 20 Big East Conference/Class B North contest vs. Hermon High School. The visiting Hawks then held the Ponies scoreless for over four minutes as part of a 19-3 run to close out the 58-42 victory.
Down 35-20 at the half, Foxcroft (the team fell to 3-2 through the opening week and a half of the 2016-17 season) used a 15-4 scoring advantage in the third quarter to pull within four at 39-35. Senior Alli Bourget picked up five of her team’s 15 third-quarter points and sophomore Makenzie Beaudry and senior Abigail Simpson chipped in with four apiece.
In the opening minutes of the final quarter, Bourget made a steal in the defensive backcourt and she took the ball the other way for a layup to cut the Foxcroft deficit to two at 39-37.
Just over a minute later Pony senior Grace Bickford picked off a Hermon pass underneath the basket with her team applying a full-court press. Grace put up a shot and got it to bounce off the glass and in to tie the game 39-39 with 5:47 remaining on the clock. Bickford and Bourget would lead Foxcroft on the scoring sheet at 11 points apiece.
Soon after Hermon regained its lead as Hawk junior Lauren Plissey put an offensive rebound back up for two. The team got two more points on a pair of free throws from freshman Paige Plissey as the seventh Foxcroft foul — on a reach-in — of the second half sent Plissey to the line for a 1-and-1. The four points from the sisters started a stretch of 13 unanswered points for Hermon.
Bickford would connect from behind the 3-point line at the 1:36 mark to make the game 52-42. Hermon, the team won its third consecutive game to improve to 3-1, would add six more points to close out the 58-42 contest.
Hawk junior Maddie Pullen picked up a game-high 17 points, including five 3-pointers with four of these field goals coming in the first half. Senior Emi Higgins also got to double-figures with 11 points.
The two teams are scheduled to play again in Hermon on Friday, Jan. 27 at 7 p.m.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
TWO THE OTHER WAY — Foxcroft Academy senior Alli Bourget turns a steal into a lay-up at the other end of the court to start the fourth quarter during a Dec. 20 game vs. Hermon High School. The Ponies tied the game at 39 early in the final eight-minute session, but the visiting Hawks would pull away for a 58-42 victory.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
GRACEFUL ALONG THE ENDLINE — Senior Grace Bickford maneuvers underneath the Pony basket during the opening quarter against Hermon. Bickford and classmate Alli Bourget would tie for the team lead at 11 points apiece.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
DRAWING CONTACT — Pony sophomore Makenzie Beaudry tries to get a shot off over the reach of Hermon senior Emi Higgins during last week’s game in Dover-Foxcroft. Beaudry would score 10 points for her team.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
EYES ON THE BASKET — Senior Abigail Simpson of Foxcroft and the Pony spectators look for the best path to the basket with the ball in the low post.