BANGOR, Maine- You could call the Central Aroostook Panthers girls basketball team the “giant killers” after the week they just had at the Class C Northern Maine Tournament. Maci Beals scored 14 of her game 26 points in the fourth quarter on Saturday night, as the Panthers finished off a perfect week by defeating Stearns 61-55 in a Maine Principals’ Association Class C regional final at the Cross Insurance Center. Central Aroostook defeated #3 Fort Fairfield, #2 Dexter, and #1 Stearns to head back to a state title game in Class C for the first time since 1982.
There were 10 lead changes in the game, with seven coming in the first half along with three ties. In a very back and forth first quarter after Central Aroostook had taken a 11-10 lead on two free throws from Beals, Stearns ended the first eight minutes on an 8-0 run for an 18-11 advantage with four points from Katherine Alley. The Panthers ran off a 12-0 run in the first 3:17 of the second quarter including a pair of three-pointers from Libby Grass for a 23-18 lead. Central Aroostook held onto that lead that they took into the locker room at the break 31-28.
The Minutemen got a two point basket and a three-pointer from Katie Kenyon to open the third quarter to jump back in front 33-31. A hoop from Kira Fitzherbert later in the quarter would put the Panthers up for good 38-37. It was a six point Central Aroostook lead until Katie Kenyon buried another three-pointer to cut it to 43-40 headed to the fourth. Kenyon buried her final three-pointer early in the final quarter to get Stearns as close as they would get at 45-43. A three-pointer from Beals and also two from the foul line, and a 1-2 from the line effort by Fitzherbert increased the lead back to 51-43 and the Minutemen never got closer than five the rest of the way. Beals had three field goals and hit 7-8 from the line in the final eight minutes to help close out the win.
Beals added five rebounds to her game high in points in the Central Aroostook win, with 19 of those 26 points in the second half. Grass finished with 13 points. Breann Bradbury had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Also chipping in was Fitzherbert with eight points and five rebounds, and Sydney Garrison also added a basket for two points. The Panthers were outrebounded by the Minutemen 28-23, and shot 19-29 from the foul line that included 9-15 in the fourth quarter.
Stearns was led by K. Alley who had a team high 21 points in the loss. Katie Kenyon added 13 points and five rebounds. Also contributing was Kasey Kenyon with eight points and 13 rebounds, Alisyn Alley with seven points and seven rebounds, and Annalys Robinson with six points. The Minutemen attempted and made one from the line in the game, and finish up an outstanding season at 18-3.
Central Aroostook (18-4) will meet Winthrop (19-2) in the Class C state title game in Augusta next Saturday, February 29 at 7 p.m. The Panthers were last in a state title game when they lost to Rangeley when they were in Class D back in 1993. They last won a girls state basketball championship in 1982 when they defeated Mexico in Class C.
