Lee Academy, Limestone girls to meet in Class D semifinal
By Larry Mahoney
BANGOR - The top-seeded Lee Academy girls pressed on to victory, literally, and will now take on Limestone Community School/Maine School of Science and Mathematics in Thursday's 3:35 p.m. semifinal in the Eastern Maine Class D schoolgirl tournament at the Bangor Auditorium.
Lee Academy's swarming 1-2-2 press forced 11 first-quarter turnovers as the Pandas jumped out to a 19-2 lead en route to a 66-43 victory over ninth seed Katahdin High School of Stacyville.
Fourth-seeded Limestone Community School/MSSM rode a terrific 16-point, nine-rebound performance from 5-foot-10 senior guard Lauren Redmond to a 31-24 triumph over No. 5 Central Aroostook of Mars Hill.
Lee Academy is now 16-3 while LCS/MSSM improved to 16-4. Central Aroostook concluded a 15-5 season while Katahdin finished up at 8-12.
In the second game, Aarika Ritchie scored 16 points, grabbed five rebounds and made three steals to lead the Pandas to their impressive victory.
Karin Bird contributed 15 points, 11 rebounds and three assists and Dana Houghton scored 14 points. Brooke Harris had seven points, five rebounds and three assists and Amanda Gifford had three steals in the first 1:45, which led to seven unanswered points.
Chelsie Bates' 13 points and Jasmine Cyr's seven points and seven rebounds led Katahdin and Ronni Robinson had six points and five rebounds.
In the opener, the Panthers had no answer for Redmond, who had two assists, two steals and two blocked shots in addition to her 16 points and nine rebounds.
Redmond had a basket and fed Kellie Peers for a pair of three-pointers during a game-opening 12-1 run that gave LCS/MSSM a lead it would never relinquish.
Peers later passed to Redmond for a pair of consecutive three-pointers late in the third period after Central Aroostook had closed to within 22-19.
Peers finished with six points and sister Julie Peers had five rebounds.
Alex Dame's 11 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots powered Central Aroostook. Sarah Long had four points and six rebounds.