Penquis girls defeat Bangor Christian, Penquis boys fall
MILO — The Penquis Valley High School girls and boys basketball teams split an interclass doubleheader vs. Bangor Christian on Monday evening, Jan. 9. In the all-Patriots matchup, the Class C North Penquis girls won the opener 31-17 while the Class D North Bangor Christian boys earned a 53-31 victory in the second contest.
The first quarter eight overall quarters of play ended with the Penquis girls ahead 5-2, but the host Patriots would score 11 points in the second quarter to lead 16-6 at the half.
Penquis freshman Brooklyn Decker scored a game-high nine points off the bench as seven Patriots got on the scoring sheet. Decker had a field goal from the low post in the first quarter and paced her team with five points in the second, on another shot from the post, putting an offensive rebound back up and off the glass, and making a free throw.
PATRIOTS VS. PATRIOTS — Penquis senior Imaan Ali and Bangor Christian freshman Lyndsie Durost fight for a rebound Monday night in Milo, a 31-17 victory for the home Patriots. Also pictured are Penquis seniors Aileen Strout (20) and Rachel Broussard (14).
Senior Rachel Broussard was right behind Decker with eight points. She picked up half of these on a pair of third quarter field goals to go along with two other shots from the low post made in each quarter of the first half. Broussard helped Penquis go up 25-8 after the third to set up the 31-17 final score.
The Milo-based Patriots improved to 4-5 and won for the third time in four games, a run starting with a 30-15 win at Bangor Christian at the Eastern Maine Sports Academy in Veazie on Dec. 27.
Penquis won at Lee Academy 42-24 on Tuesday evening to improve to 5-5, and earn the team’s fourth victory in the last five contests.
BREAKAWAY BASKET — Junior Dylan McKenzie scores on a layup over Bangor Christian junior Jalen Reed during the Jan. 9 game. Running behind is Penquis senior LJ Shaw (33) and sophomore Brenan Grant (23).
The Bangor Christian boys jumped out to a 16-0 lead in Milo during the first quarter to start the team’s 53-31 victory. The visitors improved to 6-1 with a fifth consecutive win, a run that includes a 63-39 home victory over Penquis on Dec. 27.
The Bangor-based Patriots’ win streak would be snapped 24 hours later as the team lost vs. fellow Class D North top program Machias Memorial High School 56-51.
Bangor Christian junior Jaleen Reed had 11 points in the first quarter, including three shots from behind the 3-point line, as part of his game-high 26-point night. Reed accounted for just about half of the Bangor Christian scoring, as six other players combined for the other 27 points with no one else having more than eight.
EYE ON THE BASKET — Sophomore Naima Ali looks to shoot over a trio of Bangor Christian players in the second half of the Monday night game. Penquis won 31-17 for the team’s third victory in four games, which includes a road win over Bangor Christian.
Penquis senior LJ Shaw put the home team on the scoreboard with a layup in the last minute of the first quarter to end the 16-2 Bangor Christian run. Shaw led the host Patriots (the squad fell to 3-3 after having won three of its last four with the lone loss coming at Bangor Christian) with nine points.
The score was 25-6 at the half, but Penquis would score 16 points in the third quarter. Sophomore Brenan Grant made three layups for six of his team’s points in this 8-minute session, and Grant would finish second in scoring for his team. Shaw sank two shots, and three other field goals from as many players gave the home team a 16-15 scoring advantage in the third.
RISE ABOVE — Penquis senior Nate Lovejoy scores two points in the third quarter of the Jan. 9 game vs. Bangor Christian.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
BCS 2 4 2 9 — 17
PEN 5 11 9 6 — 31
Bangor Christian (0-7): Benjamin 5, Lewis 4, Brown 3, Durant 2, Nesbitt 2, Remington 1
Penquis (4-5) Decker 9, R. Broussard 8, N. Ali 4, Conklin 4, Conlogue 4, Strout 2
BOYS BASKETBALL
BCS 16 9 15 13 — 53
PEN 2 4 16 9 — 31
Bangor Christian (6-1): Reed 26, Libby 8, C. Straubel 8, White 4, E. Straubel 3, Jackson 2, Payne 2
Penquis (3-3): Shaw 9, Grant 6, Badger 4, Hobbs 4, Wells 4, Lovejoy 2, McKenzie 2
RACE TO THE BALL — Penquis senior Abbie Conlogue and Bangor Christian sophomore Meghan Remington chase after a loose ball, with Penquis junior Addison Conklin and Bangor Christian freshman Lyndsie Durost trailing.