SCARBOROUGH — In a game between the final two undefeated girls’ basketball teams in Class AA South, Gorham delivered perhaps its best defensive effort of the season Wednesday night and came away with a 58-26 victory against Scarborough.

The victory improved the Rams, the defending state champions, to 9-0 this season and increased their winning streak to 30 games.

And it happened for one reason, which had nothing to do with Scarborough.

“It was a result of (Tuesday) night,” said Emily Esposito, the senior captain for Gorham, referring to a 60-52 win over Thornton Academy.

“It was a close game and we played awful defense. It’s good to have one of those close games. We can’t go into games thinking we’re all that and we need to know teams are going to give us their best shot. We need to respond better and I think we did that tonight.”

The result was a smothering defense that not only included 15 blocked shots and 12 steals, but limited Scarborough (7-1) to seven field goals in the game.

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The Red Storm at one point went more than 11 minutes without a basket in a 32-minute game. Their only points in that stretch were two free throws in the second quarter.

At the start, only Esposito and Brooke Malone of Scarborough were able to get anything going on offense.

The Rams led 11-6 after the first period, with Esposito scoring six points and Courtney Brent chipping in with her first 3-pointer.

From the second quarter on, the game was owned by Gorham’s defense, which helped fuel a 14-2 run in the period for a 25-8 halftime lead.

Esposito scored 14 of her game-high 22 points in the first half, and Brent added another 3-pointer in the second quarter.

Mackenzie Holmes had seven rebounds, five points and three blocks in the first half, and point guard Kaylea Lundin anchored the defense in the frontcourt and chipped in with four first-half assists.

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Holmes finished with 11 points, eight rebounds and five blocks, and Lundin totaled five points, five assists and five steals. Reserve Jacqui Hamilton blocked five shots for Gorham.

Malone made the two Scarborough free throws in the second, finishing the half with all eight points for her team.

The Rams continued to dominate in the third quarter, outscoring the Red Storm 20-5.

A 21-0 run from the middle of the second through the middle of the third allowed Gorham to open a 32-point lead.

“When we make it hard to get an open look and they have to try to penetrate, we’re running them into Mackenzie (Holmes) and that’s a tough person to try and go up against at the rim,” said Gorham Coach Laughn Berthiaume.

“Our ball pressure was pretty good, and when someone was able to get by and kick out, our rotations were pretty good, too. I was pleased with our effort all the way around.”

Esposito poured in eight more points in the third quarter, while Lundin added five points and Holmes chipped in with four more.

Sophie Glidden of Scarborough scored five quick points in the opening minute of the fourth quarter, but Gorham’s defense proved tough to beat the rest of the way.

Brittany Desjardin of the Rams scored seven of her nine points in the final quarter.


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