Although his team nearly pitched a shutout in the first half, Gray-New Gloucester girls’ basketball coach Mike Andreasen was not happy with his team’s 13-point halftime lead.
“The funny thing is, I was mad at halftime for the two baskets we gave up right before the half. You worry about momentum,” Andreasen said.
Andreasen didn’t have to worry about anything. After keeping Greely scoreless for all but 36 seconds of the first half, his Patriots were never threatened, taking a 39-25 win in the Class A South quarterfinals Monday afternoon at the Portland Expo.
No. 2 Gray-New Gloucester (16-3) will face No. 6 Freeport (11-8) in the semifinals 1 p.m. Wednesday, also at the Expo. No. 7 Greely ends the season at 8-11.
“This was a rock fight,” said Greely Coach Todd Flaherty, “and we didn’t bring enough rocks.”
The Rangers were a polar vortex of offense throughout the first half, missing shots from everywhere. Part of that was a collective off-game, and part of it was the Patriots’ emphasis on pressuring Greely’s talented 3-point shooters, contesting every shot.
“They’re a really tough offense team, and we were really just trying to shut them down, especially from the 3. They’re a great 3-point shooting team,” said Gray-New Gloucester sophomore forward Izzy Morelli, who scored a game-high 15 points and grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds.
Andreasen said the goal was to hold the Rangers under 32 points. By the middle of the second quarter, it was apparent that goal was going to be met. Greely didn’t score until Asja Kelman sank a layup on a putback of a miss. Cece Berthiaume’s 3-pointer at the buzzer, again off a Rangers miss, cut the Patriots’ halftime lead to 18-5.
Greely found some offensive rhythm in the third quarter, scoring 15 points and pulling within eight points of the Patriots, 28-20, on Grier Wright’s free throw with 1:22 left in the quarter. Sophia Ippolito led the Rangers with eight points, all in the third quarter.
“Defense bailed us out. We were very cognizant of their shooters,” Andreasen said. “Your offense can be OK, if you’re defense is good.”
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