READFIELD — Friday night’s girls basketball game between Winslow and Maranacook wasn’t the level of play you’ll see in February. But it still featured two teams that should go far this season, and it sure didn’t lack for drama in the final minutes.
In a game in which the two teams combined to miss 10 of their 11 free throw attempts in the fourth quarter, Maranacook’s Catherine Sanborn scored off a baseline drive with 3.5 seconds left to give the Black Bears a 30-29 victory.
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“I looked back, and there was no one in the (paint) area in the back,” Sanborn said. “So I just took the lane. It wasn’t there at first but I came to the other side, and I came in for a layup, and it just went in. I thought it was going out — it went in and out — but it went in and it all worked out.”
Winslow led 29-26 and had two free throws with 1 minute, 11 seconds left to play. The Black Raiders missed both, but the ball went out of bounds off Maranacook’s Liz D’Angelo. With the ball out of bounds, another 11 or 12 seconds ran off the clock. The clock was finally stopped with 58.5 seconds left and the ball still out of bounds, and the missing seconds were never replaced.
Winslow was fouled and missed another free throw, but Sanborn scored with under 30 seconds left. After another Winslow miss at the line, Sanborn scored the game-winner.
Winslow’s Ciara LeClair missed on a halfcourt heave at the buzzer, and the Raiders coaches screamed that she was fouled on the play. However, no foul was called, and Maranacook had the win despite shooting 20 percent (12 for 60) from the floor on the night.
Maranacook’s Christine Miller led all players with 12 points and 12 rebounds, and helped spark the Bears to a 7-0 lead barely two minutes into the game. Maranacook used a trapping press during the first half, and ended up forcing 18 Winslow turnovers on the night while committing only three themselves.
The Bears might have been able to put the game away in the first quarter, but they couldn’t get their outside shots to fall. Maranacook was 1 for 18 on 3-pointers in the first half, then took only three 3-pointers after the break.
“We had great outside looks,” Maranacook coach Jeannine Paradis said. “Our shots just didn’t fall. Every outside shot that we missed was actually a good shot — our bodies were balanced, they were within their range. They just weren’t falling, so we had to change our game plan, and really look to widen out our motion, and look to penetrate more.”
Winslow was within 16-13 at halftime, and in the second half, LeClair and Devin Fitzgibbons helped the Raiders get the momentum.
Fitzgibbons, who was recently cleared to play after an ankle injury, scored seven points in the second half for Winslow. Twice in the final minutes, she drove the lane for key baskets.
LeClair led Winslow with nine points. Her big spurt was in the third quarter. LeClair broke a 17-17 tie when she scored and drew a foul, rebounded her own missed free throw, and drained a three to make it 22-17.
“We don’t like to praise losses,” Winslow coach Lindsey Welch said. “But I know them. They’re going to come in Monday ready to battle again.”
Matt DiFilippo — 861-9243
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