LISBON — Hayhlee Craig of Wiscasset is a difficult matchup for most teams of the Mountain Valley Conference. Standing 5-foot-10, Craig showed her skill in going hard to the basket and controlling the paint on the defensive end in Wednesday’s girls’ basketball game against Lisbon.

Still, the Wolverines have struggled, and after a 44-31 loss to the Greyhounds, Ben Clark’s team is now 1-13.

Craig scored 21 of her team’s 31 points on Wednesday, pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds, blocked four shots and picked up four steals.

However, her team failed to overcome 30 turnovers and a balanced scoresheet from Lisbon, led by Kipri Steele’s 11 points and Kaylin Le’s 10.

Lisbon, holding down the ninth and final playoff spot in the Class B South Heal point standings, jumped on top early and slowly pulled away. Le had eight first-half points as the Greyhounds led 21-11 at the break. Lisbon held that lead for most of the second half.

“This helps us as we are right on the number nine spot, and we know every game is important,” said Steele, who also had five rebounds and four steals. “This was our senior night, and we wanted to come out and play hard.”

“We talked tonight about taking it game by game and chip away, just see where we end up,” Lisbon coach Julie Petrie said.

Craig was especially deadly in the second half, scoring 13 of her points, including a 7-for-7 performance from the free-throw line.

“I think if we were stronger with the ball, she would be even better,” Clark said. “She rebounds very well and anticipates well defensively. Offensively she has always had great tough. She is having a great senior season.”

“Craig frustrates us inside,” agreed Petrie.

Slow start

After Lisbon claimed a 7-0 lead behind five points from Le, Craig scored inside. The teams followed by going nearly three minutes without a point before Morgan Fenderson finished a pass from Mallory Fairbanks to give Lisbon a 9-2 edge. Craig followed with a bucket as the Greyhounds led 9-4 after a quarter.

The first six minutes of the second quarter reverted back to the struggles of the opening frame, with Lisbon holding just a 14-9 lead with 1:50 remaining until halftime.

Valerie Doucette scored for Lisbon, and a Wiscasset foul away from the action gave the Greyhounds another possession. Le didn’t waste it, stepping back and swishing a 3-pointer to up the Lisbon advantage to 19-9.

The run continued to open the second half, with Steele and Le scoring for a 14-point lead, 25-11.

“We went into the locker room fired up and they seemed flustered going into the half,” Steele said.

“We sometimes settle for layups, everything has to be a layup, and we started shooting and hitting some other shots,” Petrie said.

Lisbon’s advantage was 32-19 after a Fairbanks bucket, but Wiscasset made a late run in the quarter to draw back to within nine points, 32-23, heading to the fourth.

“With us, these girls play hard all the time and something I have come to expect,” Clark said. “It is not easy to play hard with the way our season has gone. I am proud of them for that.”

Ali Sult scored four points during a 5-0 Lisbon run to open the final frame to put the game away.

Fairbanks picked up five points for Lisbon, with Jasmin Le, Sult and Giana Russo adding four apiece. Russo added four steals and four assists, while Fairbanks hauled in five rebounds.

Grace Webber and Maeve Blodgett split eight points down the middle for Wiscasset, with Webber adding six blocks, four steals and five rebounds.

The Wolverines were 9-of-41 from the floor (21 percent), while Lisbon finished 17-of-57 (29 percent).

Lisbon visits Winthrop on Saturday, while Wiscasset goes to Mt. Abram on Friday.

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