BANGOR — Hall-Dale played exceptional defense and got strong rebounding and versatile scoring to beat Washington Academy 54-38 Saturday night in the Class C girls’ basketball state championship game at the Bangor Auditorium.
Carylanne Wolfington and Taylor Massey combined for 38 points for the Bulldogs, who were playing in the Bangor Auditorium for the first time.
“(Friday) we came out here before practice and the gym was so empty. It was definitely really intimidating,” said Massey, who had 18 points. “We came out here tonight, it was just not so nerve-wracking anymore.”
It’s Hall-Dale’s first Gold Ball since 1986 and third overall.
Wolfington finished with 20 points, eight rebounds and four steals, and tied a Class C title game-record with four 3-pointers. The Bulldogs (21-1) tied a team record with six 3-pointers.
Early in the game, Hall-Dale easily got the ball inside to Massey and also shot well from the outside. The Bulldogs smothered Washington (17-5) with a zone press that helped forced 14 turnovers in the first half, when the Raiders shot just 5 of 17 from the floor.
Kirsti Wright hit three 3-pointers and scored 13 points for Washington, and Taylor Seeley did some damage inside early and scored 12 points. But no one else had more than four points for the Raiders.
Still, the Bulldogs needed Massey’s experience to maintain control in the second quarter. She picked up her second foul with 5:43 left in the half and Hall-Dale leading, 16-10. Massey went to the bench and the Raiders went inside on nearly every possession, cutting Hall-Dale’s lead to 18-15 with 3:38 left.
Massey returned and Washington did not score again before halftime, with Hall-Dale taking a 28-15 lead.
BOYS
LEE ACADEMY 65, DIRIGO 55: Lee Academy built an 18-point lead in the third quarter and held off Dirigo’s fourth-quarter comeback to win the state title at the Bangor Auditorium.
AJ Harris scored 27 points for the Pandas (21-1). Harris, who was 10 of 11 from the free-throw line, had 18 points in the first half and 25 through three quarters as Lee built a 47-29 lead late in the third.
Dirigo (19-3) went on a 12-1 run to get within 48-41 with 5:24 to play behind senior guard Spencer Ross, who scored 10 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter.
The Pandas hit 10 of 16 free throws in the fourth quarter to protect their lead. Bryan James added 18 points for Lee, including a 3-pointer at the second-quarter buzzer to put Lee up 32-22.
Josh Turbide hit four 3-pointers and finished with 13 points for the Cougars, who set a Class C state-final record by making eight 3-pointers.
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