BANGOR, Maine- Lexi Ireland scored a game high 25 points, including two key free throws with two seconds remaining Friday night to help the Penobscot Valley High School Howlers (PVHS) to a 41-37 win over the Stearns Minutemen in a Maine Principals’ Association Class C girls semifinal basketball game at the Cross Insurance Center.
PVHS (17-4) scored the first five points of the game and never trailed once, taking an 11-7 lead after the first eight minutes. The Howlers extended to as much as a 10 point lead in the second quarter, and held a 23-15 halftime lead behind 14 first half points from Ireland.
Stearns got back into the game by turning up the defense in the third quarter. The Minutemen held the Howlers to just three third quarter points and scored eight of their own, including four by Katie Kenyon to cut the deficit to just 26-23 after three. PVHS held a seven point lead on three different occasions in the final quarter, the last on a three pointer from Laney Harding with just under five minutes to play. Stearns guard Allsyn Alley hit 1-2 from the line, followed by a Kenyon three pointer to cut it to 35-32. Stearns got within two points twice at 37-35, and then with PVHS leading 39-35 Howlers guard Emily St. Cyr missed the front end of a 1 and 1 from the line leading to a runner in the lane by Stearns guard Katherine Alley to make it a two point game again 39-37 with 14 seconds left. With 11 seconds left Harding missed a front end of a one and one, giving the Minutemen a chance to tie it with 9.8 seconds showing on the clock. A running shot through the lane though by Allsyn Alley wouldn’t go, and Ireland rebounded and made 2-2 from the line to ice the win.
Ireland finished with eight rebounds to go along with her game high in points for PVHS. She also was clutch from the foul line going 11-15 in the game and 6-6 in the fourth quarter. St. Cyr finished with 11 points. Kenyon led Stearns with 12 points and six rebounds. K. Alley finished with 10 points (two three pointers). The Minutemen finish their season at 16-5.
PVHS advances to the Class C girls North regional championship game on Saturday night at 7:05 pm against Dexter. The Howlers will try to capture their first regional girls basketball title since 1986.
Stearns guard Allsyn Alley (#23) blocks an attempted shot by PVHS guard Judy King during Class C girls semifinal action on February 22, 2019. Photo by Lisa Prescott (click to enlarge).
STRS 7 8 8 14- 37
PVHS 11 12 3 15- 41
Rebounds- Stearns 18 PVHS 29
Free throws- Stearns 7-14 PVHS 13-19
Turnovers- Stearns 11 PVHS 16
