BATH

The Morse High School girls basketball team entered Monday’s Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class B contest against Camden Hills with a 3-2 record.

The one thing missing for Becky Roak’s Shipbuilders was a quality win against an opponent that will fetch Heal Points to move Morse up the standings.

After a 52-48 loss to the Windjammers at Bath Middle School, the Shipbuilders remain in search of the aforementioned quality win, with a visit to Leavitt slated for Saturday at 1 p.m.

In a back-and-forth contest with Camden (5-1), Morse had several chances to take control. A 6-0 start to the game was answered by a Windjammer 13-0 run, led by Rachel Pease, who used her long frame to score seven points, block two shots and pull down eight rebounds in the opening quarter.

Back came Morse, which ran off a quick six-spot over a 30-second span to close to 13-12 after a quarter.

“It was a game of runs,” said Roak. “We need to string it together. We play great for a little while, but then we have a letdown, a stupid foul, and something happens. Defensively, we play pretty tough defense. It comes down to the offensive end. We have to start making smart decisions. If we don’t have a fast-break right away, pull it out and set something up. The girls are playing hard, but we just need to turn the corner.”

Pease caused problems for the Shipbuilders throughout. She finished with 19 points, pulled down 15 boards, blocked five shots, dished out three assists and had three steals. Another issue was her presence, which caused Morse to hurry shots, with the Shipbuilders shooting 32 percent (19 of 58) from the floor. The Shipbuilders are missing some height, with forwards Isabelle Paulus (out for the season) and Noa Sreden (scheduled to return on Saturday) out of the lineup on Monday.

“We are doing well despite losing some members of our starting lineup. We are trying to work hard as team,” said Morse guard Signe Ostergaard.

“Pease draws our players and we focus on her, trying to keep the ball out of her hands, and instead of two people doubling down on her, there is a third one that comes down,” said Roak. “She is great player, a smart player, and she makes that pass when she is double- or triple-teamed.”

Slow down second

After a run-filled opening quarter, the second turned into a game of missed shots. Morse was just 2-for-17, while Camden made just three buckets as both teams scored seven points. Pease led the Windjammers with seven points at the break, with Maddie Bowman scoring two quick buckets, including the game’s only 3- pointer to give the Windjammers a 20-19 halftime lead.

Ostergaard had six points at the break, while Emma Harrington picked up four points and nine rebounds.

The up-and-down approach returned in the third quarter. The lead changed hands four times as Harrington scored eight points in the frame while Pease answered with 10.

“Emma had to work really hard, and it was hard when I was underneath the basket to box (Pease) out and keep her from scoring,” said Ostergaard, who chipped in four points in the quarter.

With Camden up 36-28 with 2:37 left in the third, Pease was given a rest. Morse took advantage, closing the frame on a 5-1 run to get to 37-33 after 24 minutes.

Ostergaard opened the fourth with a lay-up, and a free throw each from Sierra Wallace and Ostergaard forged a 37- 37 deadlock. The lead changed hands one more time, with Leia Graves scoring with 5:40 remaining to give the Shipbuilders a 41-40 advantage.

But, Bowman answered to put the Windjammers ahead to stay. Eliza Boetsch sank of pair of key free throws with 43 seconds left for a 49-46 Camden lead, and Charlotte Messer finished the Shipbuilders off with a pair at the charity stripe to complete the 52- 48 Camden Hills win.

“At the end we had some turnovers when I thought we were going to take over the game,” said Roak. “A couple ticky-tack things, turnovers just let the game get away from us.”

Ostergaard scored 12 of her gamehigh 22 points in the fourth quarter. She also dished out seven assists and pulled down six rebounds. Harrington had a double-double with 12 points and 13 boards, while Graves finished with five points and Sophie Sreden five steals. Morse was 10-of-16 at the foul line and held a 34-29 edge in rebounds.

The Windjammers were 20-of-47 from the floor (42 percent) and 11-for-19 at the free-throw line. Bowman finished with 13 points and four assists, and Messer picked up 10 points.

Camden Hills 52,
Morse 48

At Bath Middle School
Camden — 13 7 17 15 — 52
Morse — 12 7 14 15 — 48
Camden Hills — Charlotte Messer 4-
2-10, Mara Dostie 0-0-0, Eliza
Boetsch 1-2-4, Rachel Pease 9-1-19,
Maddie Bowman 4-4-13, Hannah
Wincklhofer 1-2-4, Avery Roy 1-0-2,
Kira Barley 0-0-0, Laticia Billings 0-0-
0. Totals — 20-11-52.
Morse — Madison Savary 0-1-1,
Emma Harrington 5-2-12, Signe
Ostergaard 9-4-22, Sophie Sreden 1-
0-2, Leia Graves 2-1-5, Julia Hart 1-
0-2, Sierra Wallace 0-1-1, Hope
Faulkingham 1-1-3, Emma Gould 0-
0-0. Totals — 19-10-48.
3-point field goal — (CH) Bowman.
Records — Camden Hills 5-1, Morse
3-3.
Up next for the Shipbuilders — Saturday at Leavitt, 1 p.m.