YARMOUTH — The book on the North Yarmouth Academy girls’ basketball team is that adding a couple top players from the former Maine Girls’ Academy to an already strong nucleus will produce a championship contender in Class C.
It has worked wonders so far.
Behind balanced scoring and a strong defensive effort throughout, the Panthers rolled to a 51-17 victory Monday night against Lake Region, the defending Class B South champion.
Two former Maine Girls’ Academy players – Catherine Reid (13 points) and Serena Mower (12) – helped combine with the Larson sisters, Katie (13 points) and Maggie (10) to overwhelm the Lakers and make it two straight wins to start the season.
Lake Region’s Elle Hall, left and Bella Russo, right, battle for the ball with Serena Mower of North Yarmouth Academy on Monday during the Panthers’ 51-17 win.
“We’re still adjusting but we’re coming together well,” said Reid, who also had eight assists, three rebounds and three steals. “It seems like we’ve played together for more than just a couple weeks.”
After a slow start, NYA scored the last eight points of the first quarter to grab a 13-5 lead.
Reid set up Maggie Larson for a fast-break layup, Reid sank a 3 and after a Reid free throw, Helen Hamblett grabbed an offensive rebound and fed Mower for a layup.
In the second quarter, the Panthers extended their run to 14-0, but the Lakers showed a little life, pulling within 11, before four points from Mower in the final seconds made it 26-11 at the break.
North Yarmouth Academy’s Catherine Reid dribbles between Lake Region’s Elaina Sturk, left, and Shauna Hancock during the Panthers’ 51-17 win on Monday in York.
Mower and Reid both had eight first-half points, and Maggie Larson added seven. Shauna Hancock paced Lake Region with six points.
NYA ended any remaining doubt by starting the second half on a 7-0 run and holding the Lakers (0-2) scoreless for nearly nine minutes to take a 33-13 advantage to the fourth quarter.
Reid started the fourth with a 3-pointer, then added a runner.
“I keep telling (Catherine), ‘You’re like Tony Parker out there,’ ” said Panthers Coach Tom Robinson. “She doesn’t know who he is but I tell her to Google him.”
The Panthers allowed just four points in the fourth quarter and closed out the victory.
North Yarmouth Academy’s Catherine Reid drives by as Lake Region’s Brianna Sargent during the Panthers’ 51-17 win Monday in Yarmouth.
“It’s been a lot of fun so far,” said Katie Larson, who made three of her team’s seven 3-pointers. “We’re not used to the attention. It’s a nice change and so far we’re doing really well.”
Lake Region was paced by eight points from Hancock. Bri Sargent added five off the bench.
“NYA is very solid,” said Lakers Coach Paul True. “They have a great, unselfish point guard and a lot of kids who can shoot it. They’re a well-balanced team.
“We have a tough schedule. We need to accept the challenge and use it as an opportunity to get better. The positive is that no one is quitting. We’ll continue to work. Obviously we have a lot of inexperience, but we’ll learn how to compete and make each other better.
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