Skolfield’s 36 points help Ponies become the first team to defeat Caribou
By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer
DOVER-FOXCROFT — In the first half of a Dec. 14 matinee versus Caribou High School, the Foxcroft Academy girls built a 36-24 lead with nearly all of the Pony points coming from the inside. Junior Brianna Skolfield tallied 16 of these points, and she would more than double her total in the second 16-minute session for a game-high 36 points with 30 accompanying rebounds.
In the second half Caribou — who fell to 2-1 after the team’s first defeat of the 2013-14 season — briefly got back into the game. The Vikings had a trio of shots from the floor to get within six at 36-30 before Pony head coach Blake Smith called a 60-second timeout 1:49 after play resumed.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
BIG DAY ON THE SCORE SHEET — Foxcroft Academy junior Brianna Skolfield tallied 36 points and grabbed 30 rebounds during a game on the afternoon of Dec. 14 vs. Caribou. The Ponies won 76-44 to improve to 3-1 and hand the 2-1 Vikings the team’s first loss of the season.
The stop in the action worked as Foxcroft (3-1) went on an 18-5 run to close out the third quarter. Senior Brittany Dyer got the Pony scoring started by connecting from beyond the 3-point line near the top of the key. Later in the quarter Dyer sank shots from behind the line on consecutive Pony possessions to give her nine of the 19 points.
Skolfield connected on a pair of shots from the floor and another from the free throw line to provide five of the points to help Foxcroft’s advantage go from 36-30 to 54-35 by the quarter’s end. The other four were scored by Julia Annis, on a basket and pair of foul shots.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
GOING OVER UNDER THE BASKET — Pony freshman Kendra Ewer gets around Caribou junior Morgan Outing for two during the first quarter of the Dec. 14 contest. Near the baseline is Foxcroft senior Mackenzie Coiley and behind Ewer is junior Brianna Skolfield.
Annis would finish with eight points and Dyer had 12 — she opened the fourth with another 3-point shot to score all 12 points on a mere four attempts. The three combined with Skolfield to account for 56 points, or nearly 74 percent of their team’s total.
Dyer’s 3-pointer put the Ponies ahead by 22, 57-35, 50 seconds into the fourth quarter. A 22-9 advantage over the final eight minutes helped Foxcroft win by 32 points. Skolfield saved her most productive quarter for last as a half dozen field goals and three foul shots resulted in 15 of her 36 points. On her own she ended up with a 15-9 edge to Caribou’s players over the timeframe.
Senior Amber Chadrawi and freshman Abby Simpson chipped in with a basket apiece in the final minute to conclude the day for the Ponies, who ended up with a season-high in points. The total of 76 was 30 more than what came in a 58-46 loss to Mount Desert Island High School in the second game of 2013-14.
Next on the schedule for Foxcroft is a trip to Aroostook County to face Presque Isle High School (4-0 as of presstime) on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 4:30 p.m. The Ponies will play at Caribou on Saturday, Jan. 18 at 4:30 p.m.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
ANNIS AIMS — Junior Julia Annis hoists a jump shot during the second half of a game against Caribou on Dec. 14. She finished third in scoring for the Ponies with eight points.