AUGUSTA- The Greenville Lakers remembered what happened one year ago. Halle Pelletier made sure the Lakers didn’t experience that feeling again. Pelletier recorded 23 points and 13 rebounds in a 42-38 Lakers win over Southern Aroostook in the Class D girls basketball state championship game played Saturday afternoon at the Augusta Civic Center.
Southern Aroostook jumped out to a 13-8 lead after the first quarter behind five points from Makaelyn Porter. The Lakers scored the first five points of the second quarter to even the score at 13. Pelletier scored 10 points in the quarter as the Lakers trailed 22-21 at intermission.
There were six lead changes in the third quarter before the Warriors ended the quarter on a 6-0 run capped by a bucket from Emma Nadeau.
Greenville scored the first four points of the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 32-31. Kacy Daggett gave Southern Aroostook a 34-31 advantage with 3:50 remaining. Tiegan Murray gave the Lakers a lead they wouldn’t give back with 2:09 left. Murray added a free throw and the Lakers went 5-7 from the line down the stretch to secure the first state title since 1985 for the Greenville girls basketball program.
Cami Shields led the Warriors with 11 points. The 8th grader scored seven in the second quarter. Madison Russell added eight points, while Daggett had six points and nine rebounds. Southern Aroostook finishes the season 21-1. This was the third straight state championship appearance for the Warriors. They won the title in 2018 and 2019.
Pelletier scored seven of her game high point total in the fourth quarter. Morgan Noyes added seven points. Murray and Bianca Breton chipped in with five points each. Breton had eight rebounds and seven assists. Murray had eight rebounds and two steals. Greenville ends their state championship season with a 20-2 record.
Greenville lost to Southern Aroostook in the 2019 state championship game. The Lakers out rebounded the Warriors 33-27. Greenville shot 12-18 from the free throw line, while Southern Aroostook shot 1-3.
