AUGUSTA — Playing its fourth game in less than 24 hours, it was evident the legs of the  members of the Cony girls basketball team were starting to go.

But the Rams held on, getting key free throws from Emily Quirion and Emily Sanford down the stretch, to defeat Waynflete, 59-57, in the championship game of the Capital City Hoop Classic on Saturday night.

Additional Photos

TAKE THE SHOT: Lawrence’s Nia Irving takes a shot under pressure during a Capital City Hoop Classic game on Saturday at the Augusta Civic Center. Staff photo by Joe Phelan

Friday, Cony lost in the final 20 seconds to unbeaten Mt. Ararat in a regular-season game, then played three games Saturday at the Hoop Classic.

“My legs were so sore going into this,” said Cony’s Josie Lee, who was named tournament MVP. “So far we’ve been losing our close games so I think this gives us more confidence.”

The Class A Rams are 3-3 in the regular season while Class C Waynflete is 5-1, its only loss to Class B power Lake Region. Cony also beat Waynflete by two points in a preseason game.

“We’re just trying to play the hardest possible schedule,” said Waynflete coach Brandon Salway whose team reached the Western Maine Class C final last year. “To be able to play extra games in this building against good teams is a bonus.”

The final at times came down to a shootout between Lee and Waynflete senior Martha Veroneau. Lee finished with 23 points while Veroneau scored 30, including several long-range 3-pointers. In last year’s Western C tournament she set records for points in one game (47) as well as 3-pointers (9).
The teams combined for 13 3-pointers in Saturday’s championship. Cony also got 15 points from Alyssah Dennett while Leigh Fernandez scored eight for the Flyers.

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Veroneau, Boothbay’s Allison Crocker, Madison’s Samantha Bruce, Lawrence’s Nia Irving and Richmond’s Jamie Plummer were named to the all-tournament team. Veroneau won the 3-point shooting contest, hitting 18 in a minute in the championship round to 11 for Lawrence’s Dominique Lewis. Boothbay’s Sarah Caron won the $500 college scholarship sponsored by G&E  Roofing and the China Dine-ah.

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Richmond got what it needed from its first trip to the Capital City Hoop Classic on Saturday.

“It was really a great day,” senior Jamie Plummer said. “I was really pleased we got the chance to play on the Civic Center floor. And it was good to have some (post) competition and some players to play against.”

The Bobcats are the two-time defending Western Maine Class D champions and are rarely challenged during the regular season. Saturday, they got all they wanted in a 61-57 loss to Madison and a 57-42 loss against Lawrence.

“Both had pretty big inside people I was able to match up on,” the 6-foot Plummer said. “I was glad for that.”

Plummer scored 28 points against Madison and 13 against Lawrence. Teammate Ciarra Lancaster scored 10 in the Lawrence game.

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Cony won the boys championship game Friday night, defeating Boothbay 68-65. Kevin Kingsbury led the winners with 19 points while Mitchell Bonenfant scored 17. Boothbay’s John Hepburn led all scorers with 22 points while teammate Lincoln Simmons scored 12.

The all-tournament team included Kingsbury and Zack Lachance from Cony, Gardiner’s Tyler Jamison, Hall-Dale’s Michael Woods and Boothbay’s Hepburn. Boothbay’s Anthony DiMauro was named tournament MVP. Jamison won the 3-point shooting contest, defeating Woods 13-6 in the finals. Cony’s Chandler Shostak won the $500 college scholarship sponsored by G&E Roofing and the Chinah-Dinah.

Gary Hawkins — 621-5638
ghawkins@centralmaine.com
 
 

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