AUGUSTA — A new team reigns supreme in Class D girls’ basketball.
On the strength of Halle Pelletier’s 23 points and 12 rebounds, Greenville edged two-time defending state champion Southern Aroostook 42-38 on Saturday afternoon at the Augusta Civic Center.
It’s the first title for the Lakers (20-2) since 1985. The Warriors finish the season with a 21-1 record. The game was a rematch of last year’s Class D final, which Southern Aroostook won, 55-30.
“(The win) means everything; we worked so hard to get here,” Pelletier said. “To be here and win the last game was the entire goal of the season. It just feels awesome.”
“It’s a pinch-me moment,” Greenville Coach Maren Mason said. “We’re really here right now. This is what it’s all about. The long season, the 2- to 3-hour practices. It’s been all worth it.”
Down 32-29 at the start of the fourth quarter, the Lakers outscored the Warriors 15-6 in the last eight minutes, led by Pelletier’s seven points. Greenville forced six turnovers in the fourth quarter.
“(I told them) just to play calm, to keep their heads, to continue to do what they were doing,” Mason said. “They were playing great defense, they were beating the ball pressure. The biggest (key) was having to rebound defensively and putting the ball in the net offensively. We were able to do it today.”
“We just kept saying ‘We’re not tired, we’re not tired,’” Pelletier said. “Because I was really tired. But we were just saying to ourselves, ‘We’re not tired until that final buzzer rings.’”
The Warriors jumped out to a 13-8 lead in the first quarter. But Pelletier took over in the second quarter, scoring 10 points, and Southern Aroostook’s lead was down to 22-21 at halftime.
There were six lead changes in the third quarter.
Morgan Noyes scored seven points for Greenville, while Tiegan Murray and Bianca Breton each added five. Murray had seven rebounds.
Madison Russell and Cami Shields each scored eight points for Southern Aroostook. Kacy Daggett contributed six points and six rebounds.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
