Senior Eric Mote pushes back against the Ellsworth defense February 2 in Blue Hill. By Anne Berleant
Blue Hill—The George Stevens Academy Eagles tried every weapon in their arsenal against the Ellsworth Eagles on Saturday, February 2, but could not contain the Class B team, which parlayed a 16-point second quarter into a commanding lead until the final minutes of the game and handed GSA its second defeat of the season.
“Ellsworth played well, shot well, and defended well,” Coach Dwayne Carter said. “It’s always good to play good competition right before the playoffs to get you ready. Unfortunately, we came up short and ended our home winning streak.”
Class C GSA hadn’t lost to Ellsworth on its home court for five seasons until Saturday’s game. Each season, the two teams meet twice, to packed bleachers and a fierce rivalry, with close scorelines the usual result although Ellsworth posted a lopsided 65-36 win over GSA in December.
In Blue Hill, Ellsworth jumped to a quick 8-0 lead in the first quarter, before GSA kicked into action to tie the score 14-14 heading into the second quarter. Strong offensive play pushed Ellsworth to a 30-20 lead to open the third quarter and a 45-29 lead to end it. GSA fought to close the scoring gap in the fourth quarter, but got in foul trouble, with Ellsworth racking up points from the free throw line in the last minutes, for a 59-52 finish.
“We didn’t take care of the ball and had too many unforced turnovers that they capitalized on,” Carter said of the second and third quarters. “We also missed too many free throws during that stretch. In the forth quarter we just turned up our defensive intensity and started getting better quality shots.”
Eagle sophomore Andrew Szwez led all scoring and rebounds, with 16 points and 12 rebounds for a double-double, with seniors Percy Zentz and Reece Dannenberg each adding 12 points, and Isaac Wardwell 10 points. Devin Grindle and Jackson Curtis led Ellsworth with 13 points each.
“It was a good game for us and challenged us both offensively and defensively, which will help us going into the tournament,” Carter said.
After a tight 55-53 loss at Mattanawcook (14-3) on Tuesday, with the Eagles’ roster down seniors Percy Zentz and Eric Mote from illness, the Lincoln team remains ranked second to GSA’s third in the Heal Point Standings. With just the top two teams receiving a bye into the playoff quarterfinals, the Eagles, now at 14-3, will play the preliminary playoff round at home February 13 with final standings set after the last regular season games are played Thursday, February 7. GSA will host Narragaugus that evening, with a 7 p.m. tipoff.
Junior Caden Mattson waits to make his move as GSA plays Ellsworth February 2 in Blue Hill. By Anne Berleant