AUGUSTA — Top-seeded Richmond took care of business in the first quarter Monday, draining any Buckfield hopes of an upset by forcing 15 turnovers.
The Bobcats went on to force 35 turnovers and coasted to a 51-22 win in a Western Class D girls’ basketball quarterfinal.
Richmond (17-1) moves on to play No. 4 Seacoast Christian (16-3) on Thursday. No. 9 Buckfield closes at 5-15.
Danica Hurley set the tone when she hit a 3-pointer from the left side on the game’s first shot. The Bobcats forced five turnovers before the Bucks took a shot and finished the quarter with an 18-0 lead.
“Our defense has led to our offense, which is making it easier for us,” Hurley said “We’ve been doing it all year really.”
The Bucks played a box-and-one defense against Richmond’s Jamie Plummer. The junior center never really got untracked, finishing with nine points and 10 rebounds, but she had plenty of help from her teammates.
“It’s definitely difficult when I have a player with me all the time,” Plummer said. “If I don’t have a great game (my teammates) will all step up, so in the end it worked out fine.”
The Bobcats were outscored 7-5 in the second quarter as Coach Molly Bishop substituted freely, but they opened the third quarter with a 12-0 run. Hurley, Brianna Snedeker and Noell Acord all hit outside shots. Hurley finished with nine points and four assists, while Snedeker scored eight points and Acord had six.
The Bobcats also got a big game from Alyssa Pearson. The 5-foot-11 junior scored a 11 points, all in the paint, and grabbed six rebounds.
“She’s my little secret weapon,” Bishop said.
Danielle Patrie led the Bucks with 11 points and eight rebounds. Kaitlyn Rines scored eight points.
Richmond won both regular-season meetings handily, holding Buckfield below 20 points both times. They also beat Seacoast Christian twice, but expect a much tougher game in the semifinals.
Gary Hawkins — 621-5638
ghawkins@centralmaine.com
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