BANGOR – The Deer Isle-Stonington girls basketball team never let up until the final buzzer, but the top-seeded Southern Aroostook Warriors were too much for the Mariners, as the No. 2 seed fell 33-52 in the Class D Northern Maine finals on February 22 at the Cross Insurance Center.
The Deer Isle-Stonington Mariners are runner ups for the Maine Class D North title. Photos by Anne Berleant
The game was a rematch of last season’s Class D North regional final, when the Warriors knocked off the Mariners en route to a state championship win.
The Mariners kept the game tight in the first quarter, trailing by just three points, 10-13, going into the second. Both teams put on suffocating defense that left the game scoreless through the first two minutes of the opening quarter.
Deer Isle-Stonington’s offense struggled to find any rhythm in the second, scoring just four points with one field goal, a jumper by freshman Macey Brown and a pair of free throws from junior Kaylee Morey. The Warriors put up eight points in the second to take a 21-13 lead at the end of the first half.
Junior Kaylee Morey defends against Southern Aroostook.
The Mariners came out firing in the third quarter, as senior captain Katie Hutchinson scored back-to-back buckets to cut the lead to six. Senior Brienna Limeburner put in a foul shot on the next possession, and after Southern Aroostook put in a layup, senior Brittany Gray came down the floor and nailed a three-pointer to put the score at 26-22. Hutchinson knocked down a jumper on the following possession to cut the lead to two as the Mariners outscored the Warriors 9-5 in the opening four minutes.
After the Mariner run, the Warriors found the footing they had in the first half and started to build onto their lead, out-scoring Deer Isle-Stonington 9-2 to close out the quarter. After three, the score was 35-24, Southern Aroostook.
Senior Brienna Limeburner, left, and junior Riley Eaton defend the ball.
Deer Isle-Stonington only managed nine points in the fourth quarter, as Southern Aroostook put in clutch free throws down the stretch to close out the win and the second-straight state championship appearance for the program.
Brittany Gray paced the Mariners with 10 points, while Katie Hutchinson contributed 10. Kaylee Morey finished with seven points.
The Mariners finished the season 18-3. The team will graduate seniors Hutchinson, Gray, Limeburner, and Ella Marshall this year.
Senior Katie Hutchinson blocks Southern Aroostook at the net.
From left, Makayla Lebel, Ella Marshall and Maggie Bubar watch the final seconds of the championship game.