Big third quarter helps Pirates down Bangor Christian

By Stuart Hedstrom 
Staff Writer

    GUILFORD — For most of the first half of a Jan. 4 evening contest the girls from the Bangor Christian School kept pace with Piscataquis Community High School, staying only a few possessions behind the host Pirates. The game was the second meeting in several weeks between the two teams as the squads squared off in Penobscot County on Dec. 17 with PCHS winning, 56-25.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    MEET THE PRESS — Applying the pressure during a Jan. 4 game vs. Bangor Christian are PCHS sophomores Jordynne Littlefield (20) and Courtney Deane (12) with senior Kyla Desmarais (32) and sophomores Delani Bennett (52) and Haylee Patterson (22) farther back. The Pirates used a 16-1 run in the third quarter and 22-2 stretch in the second half to help earn a 60-28 victory.

    During the third quarter the Pirates blew the game open with a 16-1 run to go ahead 42-21 and then winning by a final score of 60-28 as both teams had similar point totals to the first matchup in Bangor. The victory ended a brief three game losing skid for 6-3 PCHS, who kept the Class D Patriots winless (0-6) in 2013-14.
    The third quarter began with a basket by Bangor Christian sophomore Abigail Cross to cut the team’s deficit to six at 26-20. The Patriots would get no closer for the remainder of play as soon PCHS went ahead by double digits to begin a run of 16 unanswered points.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    THREADING THE DEFENSE — Junior Alex Speed gets the pass off despite a pair of Patriot defenders during the Jan. 4 game in Guilford. The Pirates ended a brief three game losing streak with a 60-28 win, improving to 6-3 on the season.

    Sophomore Haylee Patterson had five points in the third quarter, sophomore Jordynne Littlefield chipped in with four of her 14 points and sophomore Delani Bennett scored four of her game-high 18 points during this stretch as the Pirates more than doubled up the opposition at 42-20.
    A free throw by Bangor Christian junior Caitlyn Wallinga, who led her team with 11 points, ended the Patriots’ scoreless streak of nearly seven minutes in the third quarter.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    DOW DOWN FOR THE BALL — Sophomore Mikayla Dow drops to the court for a loose ball during the game vs. Bangor Christian. With the 60-28 victory the Pirates kept the 0-6 Patriots winless.

    The PCHS defense then continued to prevent the opposition from having any shots made from the floor until late in the fourth quarter. For about 13 and a half minutes after the first two points of the second half all Bangor Christian could manage on the scoreboard was a pair of foul shots, with these divided between the two quarters, as PCHS was on top 58-22 with less than 90 seconds to play.
    Next on the schedule for the Pirates is a trip to Blue Hill on the evening of Saturday, Jan. 11 when the team plays at George Stevens Academy (2-6) as of presstime. PCHS and the Eagles played in Guilford during the Pirates’ season opener on Dec. 10, and the home team won by a score of 53-30 for the first of five consecutive victories to start the year.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    DOUBLE FIGURES — Pirate sophomore Jordan Littlefield, shooting over Bangor Christian junior Sydney Martin, scored 14 points during the Jan. 4 contest.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    GRACING THE POST WITH HER PRESENCE — PCHS junior Grace Riitano puts up a shot over Bangor Christian senior Margaret McDonald during the second half. Looking on is Pirate junior Alex Speed (2) and sophomore Mikayla Dow (23) along with junior Sydney Martin of Bangor Christian.