Gorham puts an end to G-NG’s string of three straight trips to the regional finals.
By Kevin Mills
Staff Writer

AUGUSTA – Just when they probably thought it couldn’t get much worse, it did.

After struggling through the first half Wednesday, the Gray-New Gloucester girls’ basketball team was still within four points at halftime, but any hopes of getting back on the right track quickly changed in the third quarter.

Gorham struck fast and hard with 10 straight points and stunned the Patriots with a decisive quarter that led to a 49-31 loss in their Western B semifinal.

“What do you say?” said G-NG coach Ken Butler. “They played great and shot the light outs.

“We just didn’t get into a flow. They played a good game. They hit their shots, and we missed them.”

The loss ended a string of three straight trips to the regional finals for the second-ranked Patriots (17-3). The five senior starters had been part of two Western B titles and were itching for a shot at a third and the state title that eluded them twice before.

“I’ve got five great seniors,” said Butler. “They’re great kids.

“They’ll take it tough. They had a great run in four years. It is disappointing. They wanted more, but Gorham was a better team tonight, and they played like it.”

Eileen Jenkins led Gorham with 14 points while Laura Popovics had 13. Both were limited in a five-point loss to the Patriots late in the regular season.

“Eileen Jenkins had no fouls tonight and she was in foul trouble the entire game and Laura Popovics shot 1-for-15,” said Gorham coach Sherry Sandora of the 44-39 loss to G-NG in late January. “That was key.”

Josalee Danieli led the Patriots with 13 points while Dawn Ross chipped in eight.

The Patriots were plagued in the first half with a 6-for-25 shooting effort and 12 turnovers. The fact that Ross picked up three fouls didn’t help their cause. Still, the third-ranked Rams (16-4) couldn’t capitalize and put much distance, leading just 19-15 at the half.

“I told the girls from the beginning of the season that defense is what wins championships,” said Sandora, whose team meets Greely in Friday’s title game.

“The ball will start to fall in the basket in transition. They finally started to believe me and that’s what they did and it paid off.”

G-NG missed its first five shots in the third quarter and hit just one of its first 10.

Jenkins started the 10-0 run and then Popovic got free for a pair of 3-pointers.

“No one was getting her open,” said Sandora of the first half. “The girls started paying attention to the fact that the reason she wasn’t getting shots in the first half was because she was being face-guarded.”

Popovics scored again off a steal for a 14-point lead. After a Ross free throw, a drive and a steal by Jenkins made it a 14-1 run to start the quarter.

“That’s been where we usually come back and we didn’t answer,” said Butler.

The Patriots did get a Ross three-point play but a 7-0 run increased the damage to 40-19. The lead was 42-25 at the end of three and the Patriots fate was sealed.

“You’ve just got to say that they played a great game and go on from there,” said Butler.