| |  | | | |  | | MA point guard Kelsey Coppinger drives through the lane during action against Gilford on Dec. 28. Jeff Lajoie. (click for larger version) |
January 07, 2013 GILFORD – Host Gilford High School had 11 different players score points, as the Golden Eagles opened the Lakes Region Holiday Basketball Tournament with a convincing 51-27 win over Moultonborough Academy in a first round girls' basketball contest of Dec. 28.
"We made use of all 94 feet tonight," said Gilford coach Rick Forge, whose team advanced to the semifinals with the win. "It was a good opportunity for all 14 kids on the team to get into the game. We didn't let up from the beginning until the end."
It was all Gilford from the get-go in this one, as the Eagles led 11-3 after one quarter with five different players scoring.
Junior Brid Fillion provided the Eagles a spark off the bench in the second quarter, as she tallied all seven of her points (including a three-pointer) in the frame to extend the advantage to 20-3.
"Brid played well there in the second quarter," said Forge. "It was a good matchup for her."
MA cut into the deficit a bit just before halftime, as a hoop from Jamie Mason and two from Kim Delaney put the Panthers within 25-10 at intermission.
"Gilford is a strong team," said MA coach Rachelle Smith. "They were able to get us into traps and we had trouble turning the ball over. They're a very disciplined team and we just couldn't stay with them."
The Eagles put the game out of reach in the third quarter, as Forge's club opened the second half on a 12-0 run to take a 37-10 lead with 3:54 remaining.
Abby Harris scored six of the team's 12 points, as the senior forward finished with 10 on the night. Hayley Jakubens had four of her six points during the spurt, while Molly Dietrich (10 points) added a layup during the run.
"(Gilford) played a fast-paced game and they had us tired and running up and down the floor," admitted Smith. "We were down five players for the game and didn't really have the depth to play that kind of game."
The Eagles took a 41-15 lead into the fourth quarter before the Panthers finally put some offense together in the final stanza. Holly Thompson and Mason scored hoops to close within 44-20, and MA ended the game on a 7-2 run thanks to free throws from Nicole Woodward and a basket by Delaney.
Gilford had Harris and Dietrich finish in double figures in the win with 10 points apiece while Fillion's seven sparked the bench effort. Jakubens (six) and freshman Jordan Dean (six) also contributed offensively. Dietrich grabbed five rebounds in the win while Maddie Harris hauled in six boards.
Delaney led the way for MA with nine points, while Thompson added five in the loss.
"I think by playing (Gilford), this will show us what we can improve on for the rest of the season," said Smith. "We can't get down on ourselves. We need to make this experience a positive and just keep working. We have the opportunity to learn from this and keep moving forward."
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