PORTLAND – The Scarborough High School girls’ basketball team stood at 9-2 going into Friday night’s game at McAuley in Portland. The Red Storm were well over .500. But the Lions’ record was 11-0, a perfect .1000. The matchup promised excitement, and if the crowd noise in the small, standing-room-only gym was any indication, the game delivered on that promise. Scarborough battled for all 32 minutes, but couldn’t upset the reigning Class A state champs, losing 65-42.
The Red Storm hung close, battling back after a halftime deficit of 33-20. But a 13-2 McAuley run to end the third quarter put it out of reach.
“We made them work for everything they got,” Scarborough head coach Ron Cote said after the game. “We were right there, the whole way. Our kids didn’t back down, they came, they fought hard. Very pleased, very pleased with that.”
McAuley junior and 6-foot-2 center/forward Olivia Smith won the tip-off, but Scarborough put the first two points on the board. Smith quickly evened things at the free throw line, however. Teammate Allie Clement then sank a two, giving the Lions their first lead. A two from Scarborough junior Mackenzie O’Brien and a three from senior Mary Redmond put the Red Storm back on top, prompting the Lions to bare their teeth. They scored 12 inside a two-minute span, beginning with two points by 6-foot sophomore Victoria Lux, and including four from Clement and four from sophomore Olivia Delphonse. Scarborough finally snapped the scoring streak, but they couldn’t seize the momentum. Smith added two and Clement hit two jumpers in close succession. The quarter ended with McAuley up, 22-14.
The second quarter was more back-and-forth than the first, with no scoring runs to speak of. However, misses from the free throw line cost Scarborough a total of four, and further contributions by Lux, Smith, and Delphonse, as well as senior Molly Mack’s and sophomore Laura Holman’s first points of the night, allowed McAuley to extend their lead. Going into halftime, the score was 33-20 in favor of the Lions.
“It all starts with defense,” McAuley head coach Bill Goodman said of the keys to his squad’s performance, adding that discipline is also critical. “Offensively, we’ve got girls who can play, but every given night, it just might not be there, so we need to be consistent with the defense.”
The Lions’ third quarter defense started out shaky, letting Scarborough senior Maria Philbrick sink a two and sophomore Ashley Briggs sink a three in the first 58 seconds. The teams traded blows from the free throw line, the three point line, and beneath the basket for the next several minutes. Lux tallied four more for McAuley and Redmond did the same for Scarborough before the Lions took control, finishing the quarter on a 13-2 run.
The Red Storm scored first in the final quarter, with Redmond contributing three and senior Courtney Alofs contributing one. The Lions didn’t score in the fourth until the 5:30 mark, but after that they sank most of the game’s remaining baskets. Smith alone added five in the last four minutes. By the final buzzer, the Lions had pulled ahead by 23.
“[We] went a lot deeper in the bench [tonight],” Goodman said. “Other girls learned their roles and did their jobs very nicely. Laura Holman did a great job in there, Molly Mack did a great job, and Jackie Welch.”
McAuley, now 12-0, face 7-5 Gorham next Friday, Jan. 25.
Scarborough drop to 9-3. They’re on the road Monday, Jan. 21, playing 2-10 Kennebunk at 1 p.m. This is Cote’s first year coaching the team, which is composed primarily of upperclassmen, who he says are progressing even though their leadership has changed.
“The chemistry has gone pretty well,” he said.”I think the kids have adjusted to me, and I’ve adjusted to them pretty well. They play hard, they’re coachable, they’re great kids to work with.”
Scarborough senior Maria Philbrick breaks toward the net. Staff photos by Adam Birt
Lion Allie Clement releases a jump shot over the head of Scarborough defender Maria Philbrick.
Red Storm senior Maria Philbrick bounce-passes the ball past a McAuley defender in the teams’ meeting Friday night.
McAuley junior Olivia Smith drives into a shot against a Scarborough defender.
McAuley freshman Sarah Clement looks for a route up court.
Lion Olivia Smith ducks around Red Storm Ashley Briggs in Portland Friday night.
Scarborough senior Mary Redmond defends as McAuley’s Allie Clement charges up the court.
McAuley sophomore Olivia Delphonse jumps after a rebound versus Scarborough Friday night.
6-foot-2 McAuley junior Olivia Smith leaps and launches the ball in her team’s bout with Scarborough Friday night.
Junior captain Allie Clement lobs a jumper toward the basket in the McAuley-Scarborough battle Friday night.
McAuley sophomore Victoria Lux throws off a crowd of Scarborough defenders.
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