Maine news, sports, weather from Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland, Maine

Late basket clinches it as Greely beats Lakers

Girls' basketball: Jackie Storey hits with 10 seconds left to stop the best team in the region.

By GREG REID Special to the Press Herald

CUMBERLAND - The Lake Region girls' basketball team turned in yet another stellar defensive game Friday night, holding an opponent to fewer than 40 points for the 12th time in 16 games.

Heck, Greely came away with four points in the fourth quarter.

Thing is, that was all the Rangers needed.

Jackie Storey hit a jump shot from the top of the key with 10 seconds left to lead Greely to a 39-37 victory over top-ranked Lake Region in a Western Maine Conference game before a packed house at Greely High.

"(The Rangers) just needed to play the tenacious defense I know they can play," said Greely Coach Kim Hilbrich.

"When Jackie hit that shot at the end, it was just huge. From there, they took care of the basketball and played the defense I know that they can play."

How big was defense in this one? Consider that the first points of the period came with 2:10 to play, when Lake Region's Sydney Hancock (10 points) hit the front end of a 1-and-1 to cut the Rangers' lead to 35-33. Twenty seconds later, Abby Craffey of the Lakers hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key to make it 35-35.

Greely retook a 37-35 lead with 1:04 left on Haylee Munson's shot from the top of the key. Tiana-Jo Carter (16 points) scored from the post to tie it again, 37-37, with 26 seconds left.

The Rangers took the ball up and patiently worked their offense. Then Munson drove to the basket from the left wing. Lake Region held strong, so she passed to Storey, who was open and made it look easy.

"We didn't want to force anything," Storey said of the winning shot. "I've been working on that shot in the middle all season, so when I got the ball there I shot it and hoped it went in. If it didn't, I knew I was just going to have to play tough defense."

"We had a little bit of a communication breakdown and that's my responsibility," said Laker Coach Paul True.

"I was trying to get a foul there at the end, to force them to put the ball in-bounds again. But we weren't quick enough to do that. Their guards penetrated, we helped (each other defensively) a little bit too much and Jaclyn hit a big shot."

Six-foot freshman Ashley Storey led the Rangers with 17 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. Big sister Jackie, a senior, had 15, 4 and 2.

If you take into account an early-season win over fourth-ranked York, Greely, 13-3 and third in Western Class B Heal points, has placed itself squarely in the conversation of the best teams in the region.

"This definitely gives us a lot of confidence going into the tournament," Munson said. "This is the time of year that you want to have your team peak. This should bode well for us."

Coupled with a 44-37 setback to York on Jan. 26, the Lakers must cope with a second loss in three games.

"We do have some work to do," said True, whose side was missing the offensive presence of Ally Clark, who sat out with an injury. "Hopefully our kids will improve because of this one, and we'll keep battling."

Ashley Storey helped put the Rangers in command with 11 points in the opening two periods while working with Jackie to hold Carter to five points and give Greely a 21-13 lead at halftime.

In the second half, Carter fought hard for second and third chances, scoring nine of the Lakers' 18 points to pull within 35-31 entering the fourth.

Both teams' defense locked in from there, setting up the thrilling finish.

"They're learning to believe in themselves," Hilbrich said of her players. "They don't quit. They have that in spades, that ability to continue to play and not quit."