Sports

Lee Academy girls pull away from Penquis

By Stuart Hedstrom 
Staff Writer

    MILO — Early in the second quarter of a Jan. 30 game between the girls of Penquis Valley High School and those of Lee Academy the Patriots took an 11-10 lead. The advantage would be short-lived as the Pandas scored 11 unanswered points as part of a 12-2 run to close out the quarter, helping the team to a 43-27 victory.

sp-Penjordan-dc-po-6Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    AIR JORDAN — Penquis freshman Jordan Durant goes up for a shot over Lee Academy junior Theresa Onwuka during the second quarter of a Jan. 30 game at Walter “Eddie” Oakes Gymnasium. Onwuka would end up leading all players with14 points to help her team leave Milo with a 43-27 victory.

    The second quarter began with Lee (who improved to 7-9) ahead by a score of 10-6. Nearly 30 seconds in a basket by Penquis junior Lindsay Turner cut the deficit to 10-8.
    After a stop on the defense the Patriots (0-15) brought the ball upcourt and a pass went to freshman Jordan Durant beyond the 3-point line. Positioned on the right side, Durant opted to shoot and her attempt was good as Penquis took an 11-10 lead.

sp-Penweston-dc-po-6Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    TWO FOR 42 — Senior Michaela Weston aims to put up a shot before Lee sophomore Jade Liu can get to her while teammate senior Amanda Brawn looks on. Weston scored four points in quarter No. 4 of the Jan. 30 Penquis home game in Milo.

    A little more than a minute and a half later the Pandas tied the game and then went ahead as junior Theresa Onwuka converted a pair of foul shots. On the next two possessions Onwuka, who scored a game-high 14 points, had a free throw and shot from the floor to give her squad a 15-11 lead before a Patriot timeout.
    Onwuka had three more points, on a field goal and then resulting foul shot to complete the 3-point play, to give her eight points in a row. Lee junior Abbie Glidden, who was right behind Onwuka on the stat sheet with 13 points, had a three before a basket by Patriot sophomore Lauren Worster ended Lee’s streak. Glidden added a free throw just before the half to make the game 22-13 in favor of the visitors.
    After the break, Penquis senior Jessica Preble picked up seven of her team-high nine points in the third quarter. Preble made a pair of shots from the floor and just before the buzzer she connected from behind the arc, making the score 34-20.

sp-Penpreble-dc-po-6Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    PASS TIME — Looking to get around the extended arms of Lee junior Abbie Glidden is Patriot senior Jessica Preble. Preble scored a team-high nine points, with seven coming in the third quarter.

    In the opening minutes of the fourth, Penquis cut into the deficit as senior Michaela Weston and junior Lauren Worster had field goals and Turner a free throw. The Pandas then increased the team’s lead from 34-25 to 40-25 before the game concluded at 43-27. The team also earned a season sweep of the Patriots, winning in Penobscot County, 48-40, on Dec. 19.
    Penquis is scheduled to conclude the regular season on Thursday, Feb. 6 when the Patriots will host Mattanawcook Academy (8-9 as of presstime) of Lincoln — the Lynx won the first meeting on Dec. 28 57-22. The game would be the last contest at Walter “Eddie” Oakes Gymnasium for Penquis seniors Preble, Weston, Amanda Brawn and Allison Durant.

sp-Penallison-dc-po-6Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    BALL CONTROL — Patriot senior Allison Durant gets a hold of a loose basketball during the third quarter of a home game against Lee Academy on Jan. 30.

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