GORHAM – Things were close heading in the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s girls basketball game between Gorham and Windham, but Gorham senior captain Mia Rapolla was done playing nice.

Rapolla, who had already put up 16 points in three quarters, hit a shot early in the period to stretch the Rams’ lead to 43-37, then crushed a massive 3 on Gorham’s next possession, drew the foul, and buried the extra point. She wasn’t through, though, hitting a jump shot when she next touched the ball, and later making a steal, drawing a foul, and going 2-for-2 from the line. With their captain having opened the breach against Windham’s (10-7) defense, the Rams poured through, outscoring the Eagles 18-6 and catapulting Gorham (14-3) to its fifth-straight victory, 58-41.

“They came out really hard on us (early in the fourth),” Rapolla said. “They were in it, and I think we came out really flat. And our coach just gave us a little speech during a timeout and he said ‘get ready.’ We came out and we just got pumped, really. I feel like the whole team needed (that 4-point play), and we just went from there and just tried to break them. We tried to ride our momentum while they were not that hot.”

Rapolla’s breakout fourth was all the more incredible because of the tight 24 minutes of basketball that had preceded it. The Eagles stayed close throughout the first half thanks to four 3s by standout junior Meghan Gribbin (who finished with six beyond the arc and 22 overall), but Gorham had established a bit of separation midway through the second, and at one point led by as much as 22-15. That’s when Gribbin struck with a long, arcing shot, slicing it to 22-18. She connected again for 3 in the final 90 seconds, and helped Windham to tie things at 26 heading into the half.

“Of course (that gave them an emotional advantage),” said Gorham Head Coach Laughn Berthiaume. “They are a scrappy team, and they have one of the best players in the league. And you saw in the first half how (Gribbin) was able to carry them. I thought we lost her too many times. For as good as she is, I am not sure how we ended up losing her, but we did.”

And although Gorham did a better job restraining Gribbin after the break, Windham hung tough, trading shots with the Rams and repeatedly tying Gorham throughout the period. The first break for Gorham came with 2:15 left, when junior guard Audrey Adkison hit a 3, and the Rams regained possession on an offensive rebound seconds later.

Gorham took full advantage of this chance to gain some distance when Alyssa Clark hit a jump shot, giving the home team a 40-35 edge at the buzzer. The Eagles cut that gap to three when senior forward Gina Cirillo hit a layup to begin the fourth, but nothing Windham did could stymie Rapolla when she went red hot.

“We had a great first half; we ran with them, and we had a good, strong third quarter,” said Windham Head Coach Jessie Cummings. “Unfortunately, we just didn’t show up in that fourth quarter, and they started hitting their shots. (The four point play by Rapolla) was a dagger in the heart for sure. Steph (Frost) did a great job defending her all night, but that call was a tough one. I didn’t really see the foul, but it is what it is.”

Gorham senior captain Mia Rapolla, right, tumbles backwards after being the recipient of a combined shove by Windham freshman forward Lonnie Statten (23) and junior guard Steph Frost (10) during the Rams’ win over the Eagles Tuesday night.Staff photo by Emory Rounds

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