OLD ORCHARD BEACH — The Richmond High School varsity boys and girls basketball teams took on Class C Old Orchard Beach with mixed results on Tuesday.

The Bobcat girls jumped ahead quickly and rolled from there for a 54-33 victory, while the Richmond boys struggled throughout in a 65-29 setback.

Both Class D teams are slated to host Forest Hills on Friday, with the girls at 5 p.m., and the boys to follow.

Richmond girls

Richmond coach Molly Bishop was far from pleased after her squad struggled to close out the victory in the fourth quarter.

“We came out on fire, and everyone was playing well and where they needed to be, but in the fourth quarter it was like we didn’t have to play anymore,” said Bishop, whose squad was outscored 16- 10 in the final frame. “We need to prove every time out that we are better. If we give a team the opportunity to come back, it will sneak up on us.”

THE RICHMOND HIGH SCHOOL boys and girls basketball teams visited Old Orchard Beach on Tuesday in the teams first game of 2012. The Bobcat girls rolled to a 54-33 victory, while the Seagulls picked up a 65-29 win over the Richmond boys. In the top photo, Richmond’s Kade Strout (34) battles with OOB’s Spencer Leask, while Ciarra Lancaster (44, bottom photo) looks to the basket while being guarded by Lauralee Small. Both Bobcat squads return to action on Friday at home against East-West Conference rival Forest HIlls.

THE RICHMOND HIGH SCHOOL boys and girls basketball teams visited Old Orchard Beach on Tuesday in the teams first game of 2012. The Bobcat girls rolled to a 54-33 victory, while the Seagulls picked up a 65-29 win over the Richmond boys. In the top photo, Richmond’s Kade Strout (34) battles with OOB’s Spencer Leask, while Ciarra Lancaster (44, bottom photo) looks to the basket while being guarded by Lauralee Small. Both Bobcat squads return to action on Friday at home against East-West Conference rival Forest HIlls.

Before most of the early- game fans were in their seats, Richmond (6-0) was up 6-0. Danica Hurley hit two 3-pointers, while Alyssa Pearson and Jamie Plummer each scored six points as the Bobcats jumped out to a 19-5 first-quarter lead.

“We knew coming in if we could win this game it would benefit us greatly in the future,” said Plummer, who scored four more points in the second quarter en route to a gamehigh 21 points. “We wanted to get off to a quick start.”

Advertisement

Richmond’s lead grew to 21 points, 33-12, thanks in large part to the inside game of Ciarra Lancaster, who scored four points while spelling Plummer. The Bobcats led 33-15 at the break.

OOB (1-4) guard Kelsey Custeau hit a short jumper to begin the second half, but Richmond tightened up on defense, scoring the final 11 points of the frame for a 44-17 lead through 24 minutes. Plummer added seven points to her totals, while Lancaster scored four tough points in the paint as the Bobcats continued to outrebound the smaller Seagulls.

“Jamie, Alyssa and Ciarra did a nice job throughout the game in controlling the inside,” said Bishop, whose team finished with a 35-27 rebounding edge, led by Plummer’s 11, eight from Brianna Snedeker, six caroms from Pearson and Lancaster’s four blocked shots.

OOB nearly doubled its point total in the fourth quarter, getting five points from Mackenzie Rague and four from Christina Colman, while Pearson and Haley Murphy scored four points for Richmond in the final frame.

The Bobcats shot 38 percent (20 of 52) from the floor and were 11 of 18 from the foul line. Hurley and Lancaster each had eight points, with Hurley dishing out three assists and Lindsy Hoopingarner picking up four steals.

For OOB, Colman had a team-high eight points, with Anna Foss chipping in seven and Rague six. The Seagulls struggled from the floor (11 of 57, 19 percent) and were eight of 13 from the foul line.

Advertisement

Richmond boys

From the opening tip, the Bobcats were in trouble as OOB’s inside-outside duo of Quincy Grace and Andrew Fleury took over. The Seagulls raced out to a 20-9 first-quarter lead and never looked back, with Grace netting all 13 of his points in the first eight minutes.

“ When you play a team that is ultra- aggressive and you’re not ready to meet it, this is what happens,” said Richmond coach Phil Houdlette, whose team dropped to 2- 4 and had its two- game winning streak snapped. “We didn’t rebound the ball and I’m not sure how many of their baskets were layups, but they had to have 36 points just going to the basket in the first half.”

Behind Fleury’s quickness OOB kept rolling in the second quarter, outscoring the Bobcats 30-7 for a 50- 16 halftime lead. Fleury matched Richmond’s total with 16 first-half points as the Seagulls shot 58 percent (21 of 36) from the floor.

Ben Carver scored nine of Richmond’s points.

The struggles for the visitors continued in the third quarter as the Bobcats failed to score, missing on 12 shots as the Seagulls took a 58-16 lead to the final frame.

Advertisement

“ We were off pretty much all night and didn’t seem like we came to play,” said Houdlette.

Fleury had a game-high 18 points and four assists to pace OOB, which improved to 2-3. Mike Rague chipped in seven points, while Cole Hamilton and Jeremy Legere added five points apiece. The Seagulls were 27 of 62 (43 percent) from the field and seven of 12 from the free- throw line. Anthony Langella-Laws pulled down six rebounds and dished out five assists.

Tyler Harrington came off the Richmond bench to score eight points, six in the fourth quarter, while Randy Moody had five. Carver had five rebounds and Nate Tribbett two steals.

The Bobcats were 11 of 42 (26 percent) from the floor and four of five from the charity stripe.

Richmond 54, OOB 33

—————

Girls — At Old Orchard Beach
Richmond — 19 14 11 10 — 54
OOB — 5 10 2 16 — 33
Richmond — Danica Hurley 3-0-8, Noell Acord 0-0-
0, Brianna Snedeker 0-2-2, Alyssa Pearson 2-2-6,
Jamie Plummer 9-2-21, Lindsy Hoopingarner 1-1-3,
Haley Murphy 1-2-4, Ciarra Lancaster 4-0-8, Mikaela
Lewia 0-2-2. Totals — 20-11-54.
OOB — Mackenzie Rague 1-3-6, Olivia Dubois 0-1-1,
Daphne Allen 0-1-1, Anna Foss 2-3-7, Christina Colman 4-0-8, Kelsey Custeau 1-0-2, Abby Dubois 0-0-
0, Lauralee Small 1-0-2, Haley Plante 2-0-6. Totals —
11-8-33.
3-pointers — (R) Hurley 2, Plummer; (OOB) Rague,
Plante 2.
Records — Richmond 6-0, OOB 1-4.
Next for the Bobcats — Friday at home against Forest Hills, 5 p.m.

OOB 65, Richmond 29

Boys, at Old Orchard Beach
Richmond—9 7013—29
OOB— 203087—65
Richmond — Sean Bernier 1-0-2, Nate Tribbett 0-0-
0, Ben Carver 3-2-9, Randy Moody 2-0-5, Kade
Strout 0-0-0, Brian Snedeker 1-0-2, Tyler Harrington
3-2-8, Evan Esancy 1-0-3. Totals — 11-4-29.
OOB — Andrew Fleury 7-3-18, Joey Gildard 2-0-4,
Anthony Langella-Laws 1-0-3, Nick Carlin 0-1-1,
Quincy Grace 6-1-13, Jim Strohm 1-0-2, Mike Rague
3-0-7, Cole Hamilton 2-0-5, Tyler Scott 1-0-2,
Spencer Leask 1-0-2, Jeremy Legere 2-1-5, Cody
Stack 1-1-3. Totals — 27-7-65.
3-pointers — (R) Carver, Moody, Esancy; (OOB)
Fleury, Langella-Laws, Rague, Hamilton.
Records — OOB 2-3, Richmond 2-4.
Next for the Bobcats — Friday at home against Forest Hills, 6:30 p.m.


Comments are not available on this story.