Houlton eliminates Tigers in Class C East quarterfinal play

By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer

    BANGOR — The ending may not have been pretty, but the outcome sure was desirable.
    The No. 5 Houlton girls scored just three points in the fourth quarter, but had built a big enough lead earlier in the game that the Shires were able to hang on for a dramatic 38-36 upset victory over No. 4 Dexter Feb. 18 in an Eastern Class C quarterfinal at the Cross Insurance Center.

Observer photo/Joseph Cyr

    HAND-EYE COORDINATION — Laying up a shot is Dexter junior Peyton Watson around the reach of Houlton senior Samantha Keegan, as Shiretowner sophomore Katie Condon looks on. Houlton won the Class C East quarterfinal, 38-36, as both teams’ records stood at 13-6 after the game. A year ago the Tigers were the last of the area’s girls teams to play a tournament game at the Bangor Auditorium, and the 2013-14 squad became the first regional Class C school to take part in a tourney contest at the new Cross Insurance Center.

    Houlton (14-6 overall) advanced to the Feb. 21 semifinal, where the team faced No. 1 Calais (17-2).
    Dexter ended its season with a 14-6 record.
    Natalie Hill led Houlton with 15 points, 10 of which came in the third quarter. Katie Condon chipped in 11 points, despite struggling with foul trouble in the second half of the game.
    Abbie Melvin led Dexter with 10 points, while Tasha Pratt added nine.
    Pratt cut the lead to 38-36 with 3:09 to play. Neither team was able to score in the final three minutes. Houlton showed good ball movement in the final two minutes, working the ball around the perimeter to force Dexter to commit the foul.
    “We were playing not to lose at that point,” Houlton coach Shawn Graham said.
    Breanna Longstaff was sent to the line with just under 30 seconds to play, but missed her free throw, giving Dexter one more chance to tie or win. The Tigers called a timeout with 9.7 seconds remaining to set up one final play.

Observer photo/Joseph Cyr

    EYEING A BASKET — Dexter junior Tasha Pratt looks to get around Houlton sophomore Katie Condon during a Class C East quarterfinal on the afternoon of Feb. 18 at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. Pratt scored nine points for the fourth-seeded Tigers, but No. 5 Houlton ended up with a 38-36 victory to move to the semifinal round.

    “I was very concerned about the three-ball,” Graham said. “They had hit a couple (3-pointers) in the second half, so we had to be aware of that shot. We seemed to lose our legs out of our 2-3 zone and the skip pass to the weak side … we just weren’t getting there.”
    That scenario played out as Dexter worked the ball to the left side and sent a cross-court pass to Michaela White. White’s shot bounced off the rim, allowing Houlton to collect the rebound as time expired for the remarkable victory.
    “We forced them (Houlton) to take a couple of bad shots at the end,” Dexter coach Jody Grant said. “I was really proud of the kids in terms of effort. I just wish we could have done it a little sooner in the game. Maybe if we had done a better job of rebounding? Unfortunately, it came down to a one-possession game at the end. But that happens.”