Brunswick defenders Kendahl Dow (42) and Lexi Guptill (44) try to prevent a shot from Mt. Ararat guard Kyla Greenleaf (5) in Friday’s KVAC girls basketball clash in Brunswick. Greenleaf scored on the play and tallied 14 points, but her Eagles fell to the Dragons, 53-33. (Bob Conn / The Times Record)
BRUNSWICK — Over the past two seasons, Brunswick’s Lexi Guptill was surrounded by talent. Names like Charlotte MacMillan, Marley Groat, Rian Sachs, etc., helped lead the Dragons to success.
On Friday, the girls senior high school basketball player showed her importance to Sam Farrell’s varsity-young lineup, scoring 21 points and pulling down 10 rebounds in Brunswick’s 53-33 “Battle of the Bridge” victory over rival Mt. Ararat.
After scoring seven points in the first half in helping the Dragons to a 23-14 halftime lead, Guptill owned the third quarter, tallying 11 points and controlling the paint. She made 5-of-6 at the free-throw line in the quarter as Brunswick extended its lead to 42-21 heading to the fourth.
“I have confidence in all the underclassmen, and I know I have a leadership role, along with Mackenzie (Dorr) and Hannah (Fortier), but I also trust everyone to step in and play well,” said Guptill. “We had to really turn on our defense tonight and not let them get shots. We tried to not let them score.”
Mt. Ararat’s Eliza Libby (15) dribbles while being defended by Brunswick’s Hannah Fortier (5). (Bob Conn / The Times Record)
“Defensively on the glass, Lexi was solid, and tonight she was putting the ball in the net. She is the center of everything that we do,” said Brunswick coach Sam Farrell.
After both teams struggled to find an offensive rhythm in the first half, Guptill started the second frame strong. She swished four consecutive free throws, then went hard to the basket for a lay-in for a 29-14 Brunswick lead.
Later in the third quarter, she grabbed a loose ball, made a move and drove between two Eagle defenders for two more points.
First half
It was slow going in the scoring department over the first six-plus minutes of the opening quarter. Brunswick led 5-0 midway through the frame, and Mt. Ararat’s first point came at the free-throw line when Theresa Breed made 1-of-2. Moments later, Alexa Eaton scored while being fouled, canned the free throw, and brought the Eagles to 5-4.
Logan Brown, who led the Dragons with 11 first-half points, closed the first quarter with a long 3-pointer, giving Brunswick an 11-6 edge after eight minutes.
Julie Petrie’s Eagles were hurt by early fouls, including three on junior forward Lauren Magno.
“It is hard when we are not getting into the rhythm, and those early fouls hurt,” said Petrie, whose 1-2 Eagles host
Brunswick coach Sam Farrell, far right, tries to direct traffic while Dragons Lexi Guptill (44) and Lanye Brewer (24) trap Mt. Ararat’s Morgan Ruff along the sideline. (Bob Conn / The Times Record)
Yarmouth on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
Brunswick wasn’t exactly lighting up either. The score was 19-14 with 3:18 left in the half. Guptill made a pair at the charity stripe and Lanye Brewer stole an Eagles passed and scored to send the Dragons to the break with a nine-point lead.
“The first half we got good looks, but the ball just didn’t go in,” said Farrell after his Dragons made 8-of-32 (25 percent) from the floor in the first 16 minutes. “In the second half, we had some great looks and made them. We scored some cheap layups against the press. If we rebound well and play scrappy, we are solid.”
For Petrie, she was pleased with her team’s effort until the end, with her Eagles diving for loose balls and battling the taller Dragons in the paint. Mt. Ararat’s downfall came in its shooting, which was a struggle (13-of-58, 22 percent) throughout.
“This was a good test tonight, and I think it will lead us to playing better as we move on this season,” Petrie said. “They hit shots and we didn’t, but I thought we went hard. We just didn’t get shots to fall tonight. They worked hard, and that is something we will continue to preach.”
Brunswick sophomore guard Logan Brown (25) looks for someone to pass to while being defended by Mt. Ararat’s Kyla Greenleaf, center back, Theresa Breed (50) and Lauren Magno (51). Brown scored 17 points as the Dragons rolled to a 53-33 KVAC victory and a perfect 3-0 start to the season. (Bob Conn / The Times Record)
Brunswick finished at 33 percent (17-of-51) for the game and made 16-of-32 from the free-throw line. Brown had with 17 points and four assists, with Morgan Foster adding six points and six steals. Forward Kendahl Dow grabbed six boards and had three steals, with Brewer finishing with four points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals.
“We have to continue to work and get better every day. We are focused on doing what we are supposed to do, knowing the wins and losses will take care of themselves,” said Farrell, whose 3-0 Dragons head to Biddeford on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Kyla Greenleaf scored all seven of Mt. Ararat’s third-quarter points and paced the Eagles with 14 points, nine boards and three steals. Eaton scored all five of her points in the first half, and Morgan Ruff chipped in five points off the bench. Jaden Lohr had seven rebounds.
Mt. Ararat went 6-of-10 from the foul line.
Brunswick 53, Mt. Ararat 33
Friday at Brunswick
Mt. Ararat — 6 8 7 12 — 33
Brunswick — 11 12 19 11 — 53
Mt. Ararat — Elsa Daulerio 0-0-0, Kyla Greenleaf 6-2-14, Eliza Libby 1-0-2, Theresa Breed 1-1-3, Lauren Magno 0-0-0, Jaden Lohr 0-0-0, Alexa Eaton 2-1-5, Morgan Ruff 2-0-5, Maddie Kinney 0-1-1, Reese Turcotte 1-1-3, Desneige Williams 0-0-0, Kaylee Bergeron 0-0-0. Totals — 13-6-33.
Brunswick — Morgan Foster 3-0-6, Hannah Fortier 0-0-0, Logan Brown 6-2-17, Kendahl Dow 0-2-2, Lexi Guptill 5-11-21, Lanye Brewer 2-0-4, Kelsey Sullivan 1-0-2, Mackenzie Dorr 0-0-0, Riley Turgeon 0-0-0, Kelsie Carlton 0-0-0, Ellie Williams 0-0-0, Chloe Coombs 0-1-1, Blake Austin 0-0-0. Totals — 17-16-53.
3-point field goals — (MtA) Ruff; (B) Brown 3.
Records — Brunswick 3-0, Mt. Ararat 1-2.
Up next for the Eagles — Tuesday at home vs. Yarmouth, 6:30 p.m.
Up next for the Dragons — Tuesday at Biddeford, 7 p.m.
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