BOX SCORE

Yarmouth 38 Cape Elizabeth 18

CE- 8 3 3 4- 18
Y- 10 7 11 10- 38

CE- Gerety 1-4-6, Supple 3-0-6, Goulding 2-0-4, Conley 1-0-2

Y- McGonagle 6-1-14, Feeley 2-1-7, McNeil 3-0-6, M. Panozzo 2-0-5, N. Panozzo 2-0-4, D’Appolonia 1-0-2

3-pointers:
CE (0)
Y (4) Feeley 2, McGonagle, M. Panozzo 1

Turnovers:
CE- 25
Y- 12

FTs
CE: 4-7
Y: 2-4

YARMOUTH—Yarmouth’s girls’ basketball team was unselfish, undeniable and perhaps even a little unrested Saturday morning, but at the end of of its home game versus Cape Elizabeth, the Clippers remained undefeated.

Yarmouth started slowly, but went ahead to stay on a layup from senior Margaret McNeil and held a 10-8 advantage after one quarter.

The Clippers only scored seven points in the second period, but allowed a mere three and held a 17-11 lead at the half, thanks in large part to six points and three steals from senior Calin McGonagle.

In the third quarter, Yarmouth surrendered only three more points and behind six straight points from McGonagle, opened up a 28-14 advantage.

The Clippers slammed the door from there, forcing 25 turnovers, and went on to a 38-18 victory.

McGonagle led the way with a game-high 14 points and Yarmouth improved to a perfect 7-0, dropping the Capers to 2-5 in the process.

“I thought it would be harder (with the early start), but we came in well-rested, with a lot of energy,” McGonagle said. “We didn’t have to be here really early. It was OK. We came out strong. We didn’t hit a lot of shots at the beginning, but it built.”

Quick turnaround

Yarmouth opened with a pair of wins over Lake Region (46-29 at home and 42-35 in Naples), then swept Brunswick (49-34 at home and 51-34 away), before edging visiting South Portland on sophomore Ava Feeley’s late layup, 30-28, and Friday prevailing, 38-28, at Freeport.

Cape Elizabeth, meanwhile, started with a 54-32 loss at Deering, rallied to edge host Freeport (33-31), dropped a couple games to Greely (47-27 in Cumberland and 60-42 at home) and after downing visiting Westbrook (51-34), lost at home to Freeport Thursday (46-26).

Last season, the Clippers won a pair of close, low-scoring meetings, 27-18 in Cape Elizabeth and 37-30 at home.

Saturday, the Capers looked to beat Yarmouth for the first time in four tries, but the Clippers, just 16 hours after taking the court in Freeport, gradually pulled away, thanks to a smothering defense and timely scoring.

The first quarter was back and forth, as after McGonagle sank a long jumper, just inside the 3-point stripe, to open the scoring, Cape Elizabeth got a layup from junior Emily Supple, then a putback from sophomore Meghan Conley,

Junior Maya Panozzo answered with a 3 for the Clippers, but a driving, spinning layup from Supple put the Capers ahead for the final time, 6-5.

McNeil came alive late in the frame, making a reverse layup off a feed from McGonagle, then driving and finishing with her left hand.

Feeley added a free throw and even though senior Alison Gerety scored on a putback at the horn, Yarmouth held a 10-8 advantage after eight minutes.

“(The early start) was probably harder on me than the kids,” said Clippers coach David Cousins. “After playing a physical game last night, an afternoon or evening game would have been better today, but the kids are resilient.”

The Clippers then got some breathing room in the second quarter.

McGonagle starteed by draining a 3 and after senior Emily Goulding took a pass from sophomore Olivia Manning and made a layup for the Capers’ lone field goal of the quarter, Feeley knocked down a 3 and McGonagle added a free throw. A late foul shot from Gerety made it 17-11 Yarmouth at halftime.

In the third quarter, the Clippers opened up a comfortable lead, as McGonagle drove for a layup and after Gerety made a free throw for Cape Elizabeth, McGonagle hit a runner in the lane, then she stepped back and drained a jumper before Feeley buried a 3 for a 26-12 advantage.

“We played well as a team today,” McGonagle said. “It’s better to be unselfish than too selfish. It’s all about working with your teammates to get open baskets. It could have been someone else, but the opportunity was open for me.”

“Calin was in foul trouble last night, but the last several games, she’s shot lights out for us,” Cousins said. “She’s had some big buckets in second halves of games. It’s good to see her shooting so well.”

The Capers got a layup from Goulding, but a long jumper from freshman Neena Panozzo made it 28-14 Yarmouth heading to the fourth period.

There, Neena Panozzo scored on a putback and after Gerety sank a couple free throws for the Capers, McGonagle drove for a layup and her final points before McNeil drove for a layup, McGonagle fed junior Katelyn D’Appolonia for a layup and a jumper from Maya Panozzo ended the Clippers’ scoring.

In the final minute, Supple made a layup after a steal and that accounted for Yarmouth’s 38-18 victory.

“It took awhile for us to get going, but once we started to run that was the big difference for us,” Cousins said. “Getting the ball up the court. We spent too much time in our offense, although I loved our patience. Our key is running the floor. ”

McGonagle, who plans to attend and play basketball next year at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, had a game-high 14 points, as well as three assists, three rebounds and three steals.

Feeley added seven points, McNeil had six (as well as four rebounds and three blocked shots), Maya Panozzo five, Neena Panozzo four and D’Appolonia two (to go with five rebounds and four assists).

The Clippers made all four of the game’s 3-pointers, held a 24-21 rebounding edge, only committed 12 turnovers and hit 2-of-4 free throws.

Cape Elizabeth got six points apiece from Gerety (six rebounds) and Supple (five rebounds), four from Goulding and two from Conley.

The Capers made 4-of-7 free throws, but turned the ball over 25 times and made just seven field goals the whole game.

“Defensively, the girls did their job,” said Cape Elizabeth coach Chris Casterella. “They held a good, skilled, undefeated team to under 40 points, but you can’t win games scoring less than 30. We just struggling to put the ball in the basket. The effort’s there and the defensive ability is there, but it’s so frustrating on offense. We didn’t take care of the ball. I told them if they get a rebound, you have to be aggressive with the ball, or (Yarmouth will) get it. It’s just protecting the ball or taking the extra step and in a game that’s low scoring, that hurts us.”

One more week

The teams meet again Tuesday in Cape Elizabeth.

The Capers then close with a trip to Lake Region Friday.

“We’re enjoying that we’re playing,” said Casterella. “I’m so appreciative. The girls are working hard. It’s not a lack of effort or heart. We’ll see if we can right the ship and put points on the board. We hope to lay the foundation for next year.”

The Clippers host Freeport Monday and still have a pair of games against Greely, at home Thursday and at the Rangers next Saturday.

“We’d love to win out, especially against a team like Greely that’s been our rival for awhile,” McGonagle said. “We want to prove that this really could have been our season. We want to build on next season because next year’s team is going to be strong as well. It’s amazing to be able to play. We weren’t sure we’d have a season at all. Once we got into our rhythm, we’re so grateful to be playing together. We wanted to have a season with the younger players. We’ve cherished that.”

“Absolutely, the older kids want to run the table,” Cousins said. “That would be a huge success with no tournament. Greely’s going to be a very good test, but we have to get through Freeport and Cape Monday and Tuesday first, playing them a second time. They’ll grind. We’re looking to finish strong in our last four games and prove that we are a very good team.”

Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @foresports.

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