In a game of conflicting styles of pace, the PVHS Howlers boys basketball team was able to pull out the win against Lee Academy in Howland on Friday evening by a score of 54-40. Lee had beaten Penobscot Valley a few weeks ago by nine points.
The dangerous trapping game of Lee and uptempo style has them near the top of the Penobscot Valley Conference in points per game, while the deliberate attacks and stingy defense of PVHS has them leading the league in fewest points allowed per game. On this night, defense prevailed as the Howlers held the Pandas to twenty points below their season average of 60.
PVHS jumped out to an early 11-3 lead helped by three quick 3-pointers, two by Caleb Moon and one by Gabe Reed. Andrew Scott found his way to the hoop and to the free throw line to score six points in the first quarter for Lee Academy to bring his team within three at 16-13. Junior Kaden Loring pumped in nine points during the second quarter, and the Howlers held the Pandas to just five points during the frame in taking a 28-18 lead into the locker room.
The ten point cushion was huge for Penobscot Valley, as the third and fourth quarters were fairly even with PVHS outscoring Lee by two points in each. Balance was the recipe for success for the Howlers, as seven players scored in the second half. For Lee, Scott was the leading scorer again with nine points after the break.
Penobscot Valley has now won six of their last seven, after starting the season 2-5 and improve to 8-6 overall. Moon led the team in scoring with 14, including four three-pointers, and Loring finished with a career-high 13 points. Reed put up an impressive stat line of eight points and eight assists were also crucial to the win. Other scorers for PVHS included seven by Nate Scharff, five each by Isaac Doore and Colin Dunn, and two by Colin Harding. The Howlers host the Dexter Tigers on Monday.
Lee Academy was led once again by Scott who had a game-high 15 points. Andrew Glidden connected on three 3-pointers and finished with 11 on the night. Other scorers for the Pandas included eight by Nick Allard, two by Finn and Eli Knowles, and one by Jackson Sabattus and Austin Beach. Lee Academy drops to 6-6, and will host Machias Saturday who is currently the number one seed in Class D.
